LA Style, NY Attitude!

Is it just me or is L.A. in the middle of an Ice Age? (Please tell me it's not me!)

2011-12-08T08:49:00.001-08:00

Typical LA weather report (it was drizzling that day).

Sometime shortly after I first moved to Los Angeles, I had the late night munchies and decided to walk over to the Yogurtland near my apartment complex. It was a February evening and temperatures were in the low 60's. While waiting in line to pile my yogurt high with gummy bears (for some reason I always get chocolatey yogurt and then get a gummy bear craving and they just don't mix but I never learn) a girl walked in wearing a floor-length puffy coat, earmuffs and gloves. It was hilarious! I remember calling my parents in NY the next day to share the funny story with them. "Mom, you should have seen this girl. It was like 70 degrees out and she had on a puffy coat. People in L.A. are ridiculous! There's no way she'd ever be able to handle a New York winter!" I told the story of the pathetic puffy coat girl over and over again to my East Coast pals and we always got a kick out of it.

2009- I'd just swam in the Pacific... at night...in January.

I moved to L.A. to get away from New York winters. There was a time when I was a child that I'd go out and build igloos and play in them all day, but as I grew older, I became less and less tolerant of snow dripping down the back of my neck. I left most of my sweaters, all of my warm coats, gloves, hats, scarves and other winter gear in New York when I moved to California. The warmest piece of clothing I have here is a baggy pure cashmere Valentino sweater that I picked up at Buffalo Exchange for super cheap. I don't even own a legit coat anymore. The one I wear is a sweatshirt/coat hybrid I got at Target for under 30 bucks. My lack of warm clothing was never an issue...until recently.

Proof that it really IS cold (just not THAT cold)

I don't know what happened. I really don't. But ever since I got back from my cousin Kristin's wedding in New York this November, I've been freezing my a$$ off in L.A. I even have a little space heater I keep right next to my face in my bed. The past 2 weeks I've had to wear fingerless gloves (the closest thing I have to mittens) on my commute to work. Today I even added a knit cap and scarf (albeit a nice designer scarf not a winter scarf) to my ensemble. It's been taking me a great amount of will-power to get out of bed in the morning and get dressed, and when I do get up and out of bed my teeth won't stop chattering until I've put on socks, pants, a t-shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, a sweater and my coat. When I get home from work, all I want to do is jump into bed, wrap myself in blankets, and blast the the space-heater. I'm becoming the pathetic puffy coat girl!!!

I know L.A. has been going through some sort of cold-spell as of late. I even had to scrape some icey stuff off my car the other morning. Today at work my boss told us all to go home early because of the bad weather (it was a "chilly" 50 degrees and drizzling out).

Freezing at work (what you can't see here is my personal space heater)

But I know that the Emily who moved to L.A. in 2009 is not the same Emily who lives there now. The 2009 Emily would be just like the tourists on the Hollywood Tours buses, rocking out a sundress in 60 degree weather. But not anymore. My closet is filled with sundresses that haven't been touched in a month. This is a tragedy! (It's mostly a tragedy because somewhere down the line I got too fat for most of my pants and didn't realize it because I was only wearing loose-fitted sundresses and now I only have about 3 pairs of pants I can fit into. Luckily no one at work has noticed this yet.)

I'm going back to NY next week and I have NO IDEA how I'm going to handle a NY winter for the first time in 2 years. I'm pretty terrified. I just hope that when I return from NY, the old Emily will come back to life and I won't find L.A. so cold anymore.

So please people, if you live in So-Cal tell me that I'm not crazy. Tell me that it really has been freezing out lately and L.A. isn't normally this cold this time of year. I'm not quite ready to admit defeat...

I Seriously LOVE My New Job*!!!! (AKA: So where exactly does Emily work now? And also some Thanksgiving pics)

2011-12-06T21:56:00.001-08:00

*Ok, so technically I'm not supposed to call my AmeriCorps VISTA position a job; it's a "volunteer service opportunity" or something like that. You see, I don't actually earn a salary but rather a "living allowance" as I volunteer for one year to help out a non-profit through capacity building within my community as part of a national community service organization that's pretty much the equivalent of the domestic Peace Corps... but see, it took forever to explain that and most people I talk to end up wanting even more of an explanation so that's why I just call it a job...

Now that we've got that out of the way... I seriously love what I do! So if you see me on the street, ask me about it! I've only been working at the YouthBuild Charter School of California headquarters in Downtown LA for about a month now, but it's already been an enriching experience. My main objectives during my time with YouthBuild Charter (YCSC for short) are to raise money through fundraisers, write grant proposals, work on the official YCSC website and use various social networking tools to raise awareness about YCSC. I also do a lot of other random odd jobs for the school adminstrators (currently I'm putting together binders for each of our twelve sites containing a variety of materials the teachers create to plan their curriculum.)

YouthBuild USA

Dorothy Stoneman & Michelle Obama (The Obamas love YouthBuild)

So you may be wondering what YouthBuild is exactly. I wondered that when I first started too. In order to explain YCSC, I should first write a little about YouthBuild USA. YouthBuild USA was founded over 20 years ago by this really amazing lady named Dorothy Stoneman. When she asked the youth in her community what they'd do if they had the support to improve their community, they responded resoundingly that they'd rebuild, renovate and reclaim the tenement buildings that had been taken over by drug dealers. She assembled the teens together to form the Youth Action Program (the first official YouthBuild) and they went to work renovating an East Harlem tenemant. Based on the incredible success of the initial program, she was able to receive funding to continue the program, which "enabled 20,000 New York City youth to obtain education and job training in various community improvement projects." Today, there are around 275 YouthBuild programs all over the country. The students who participate in these YouthBuild programs are low-income young people between the ages of 16 and 24. They work full-time for 6 to 24 months toward their GEDs or high school diplomas while learning job skills by building affordable housing in their communities and becoming leaders in the process.

So how does YouthBuild Charter School fit into the equation?
To quote YCSC's official website, "YouthBuild Charter School of California is a unique charter school model that provides young adults at YouthBuild programs with an authentic alternative to traditional school environments." YouthBuild Charter School is really two schools--YCSC (YouthBuild Charter School of California) and YCSCC (YouthBuild Charter School of California) each with six sites (YCSC is LA-based and YCSCC sites are in the cities surrounding LA.) YouthBuild Charter specifically caters to under-served, low-income students between the ages of 16-24, who have dropped out, aged out or otherwise failed out of the traditional high school system. Instead of employing the test-based curriculum of traditional schools, YCSC uses a project-based approach to learning with an emphasis on leadership and community development.
For example, in a traditional math class, students learning statistics will learn how to turn fractions into decimals and percentages and plot them on graphs and their understanding is measured in the form of some sort of standardized test. On the other hand, at one of our YCSC sites, the math teacher taught his students statistics by having them spend a day at Occupy LA, interviewing protesters with survey questions the students came up with on their own, tallying their answers, determining percentages and plotting graphs, and finally displaying their results on posters filled with pictures from their experience.

Not a stock photo! One of our real teachers helping a real student

Teachers at each of our sites work together at the beginning of each Trimester to create a curriculum collaboration by coming up with an "essential question" for the unit. For example: How can you be the change you want to see in the world? Using this essential question as a guide, the teachers develop three projects for each of their courses. At the end of the Trimester, students and teachers work together to create one final project that both sums up what they've learned and serves the community.
I could go on and on about how awesome YouthBuild Charter School is OR I could direct you once again to our official website or our BRAND NEW BLOG (that I, of course, created).

So in conclusion...
I have so many amazing stories already from my experience with YCSC, but I'll be updating the YCSC blog as often as possible with my stories and stories from our teachers and students, so I'd say just check back there from time to time. It's so exciting to see students who really want to learn and who also have a desire to give back to their communities. Even though I don't work at any of our actual school sites (I work at headquarters, where our two principals, CEO and other admins work out of) I'm hoping to spend time with both teachers and students and learn from them as much as possible during my year here.

I could go on and on about my new job, but it's late and I'm freezing (I actually had to scrape ice from my car the other day) so I should probably hit the hay. More updates to come soon enough. I'm heading home to NY for pre-Christmas Christmas from December 16-22. Then, Josh and I will be driving from LA to the Bay-Area to spend actual Christmas and New Year's with his mom and sister. Should be fun and I look forward to exploring San Francisco! If what I've written about here has intrigued you, feel free to ask me more and if I've interested you enough in YCSC's education model that you want to donate, visit our website to do so there.

It's photo time!!
Oh, and here are some pictures of my first time making Thanksgiving dinner!!

Josh's mom and sister helped me out

I overcame my fear of ovens

The spread: gluten-free biscuits, sweet potato wedges, risotto, yams, mashed potatoes, cooked veggies and turkey

Om nom nom - My gluten-free goodies!

Josh and I enjoying our food and drink

The leftovers

Black Friday shopping at the Grove

My Month as a Lazy Bum, Art Director, and Happy Housewife,

2011-11-12T15:21:00.001-08:00

This is not ok. I came back to LA for sun and warmth.

WOW! The last time I updated my blog I was freezing in NY and here, a month later, I lay shivering in bed, sick and freezing in LA. Yes, it's so cold here I have a small space heater right next to my face and am covered in blankets. As you can see in the image to the right, the weather here today is practically sub-Arctic... ok ok I guess NY still has it worse but there is no way I am going outside today.

Anyways, you may be wondering what I've been up to all this time, and I wish I could say I've been busy working at some super important production company 60 plus hours a week and saving the whales, feeding the starving children in Africa, planting trees and writing novels in my free time, but sadly the truth is much duller than that. After my time as Box Office Manager of the Woodstock Film Festival drew to an end, I flew back to "sunny" (haha I wish) L.A. for a month of funemployment before starting my new job as an AmeriCorps Vista at the YouthBuild Charter School of California.

Simon and Garfunkle rockin' out on 1970s SNL

I didn't have anything planned during this month and figured I could enjoy doing absolutely nothing for once. I took full advantage of my Netflix membership by watching old episodes of Saturday Night Live from the 1970s-2000s. Then, I moved on to "True Blood," cruising through Season 1 in about a week. Of course, I also had to catch up on all the current shows I was behind on and all the new shows I wanted to start watching, so I got to work with a little help from Hulu alternating recent episodes of "Community," "Parks and Rec," "Glee," "Up All Night," "New Girl," "The Office," "American Horror Story," etc. etc. I also started reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" which a volunteer from the film fest had given me to read and instantly became addicted. Josh and I also snagged a super great deal on an X-box Kinect bundle. The gaming console usually runs for around $299, but Josh noticed one had been marked down to half price at Target because the seal on the box had been tampered with. In addition, Target was offering a promo that week on the bundle pack so it came with a $75 gift card. When you add that together with the Target employee discount and the 5% off you get for using your Target Red Card it was super duper cheap. I bought "Dance Central" and it gives you a really great dancing work out (way better than "Just Dance" for Wii) because you have to move your entire body. With all of this media, I figured I'd have plenty to do for an entire month...

A shot from set

And then, after a week of lazing about the apartment, I got an email from my friend Chrystal asking if I could help out on a UCLA thesis film she was helping out with. She said it would only be for a day or two, so I quickly agreed. However, after just one day of painting and wallpapering flats on the sound stage, I learned that this shoot might be more of a commitment than I originally thought. Sure enough, the next day, the producers decided to sack the original Production Designer and hire Chrystal. Chrystal then promoted me to Art Director. Seeing as I'd been a bum for the a whole week, I figured I might as well be productive and do some film work. The best part was that the producers were so desperate for good art department help that they were willing to pay me! Thus, I got my first official paid film gig. However, my excitement soon wore off when I realized how horribly the original Production Designer had screwed things up and how much recovery work Chrystal and I would have to put into the set. I ended up working a lot of 12-15 hour days with little rest and improper nutrition. At the same time, it was fun to be in charge for once instead of just being a PA. In fact, I had 5 PA's I got to order around, so I felt pretty powerful. As Art Director, I had to be on set during filming to do art prep for each shot. Pretty much, I was in charge of dressing the set for each shot and making sure it was consistent if anything had to move. I also had to help with the tear down and re-build when our set changed mid-way through the shoot. My body ached by the end of it, but in all, it was a great experience and I look forward to getting more art department work in the future.

After nearly two weeks of 12+ hour workdays I was ready to bum it out again. For about two days I tried to sleep and relax, but it was too late. My body was programmed to be a worker bee, so I had no choice but to become a happy housewife. First off, I decided to learn how to cook. Previously, my cooking specialties were grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, and cheese quesadillas. I decided to remedy this by, for starters, learning to cook something that wasn't so cheese-centric. I attempted to make a chicken and rice dish without using a recipe and it was an epic fail, so I asked my mom if she could send me some gluten-free recipes that were easy. While I waited for her recipes to arrive in the mail, I made a gluten free pizza (ok ok everything I make has cheese in it. I can't help it!) which was rather simple since I just had to get gluten-free crust and add sauce, seasoning and cheese. When my mom's recipes arrived in the mail, the first one I tested was her recipe for "Quick and Easy Cheeseburger Pie." It really was quick and easy. All you need to do is brown some ground beef with onions, mix up some gluten-free Bisquick with eggs, cheese and milk (and some other stuff I forget), then put the ground beef into a glass pie dish and pour the Bisquick mixture on top, and cook until it looks edible. Unfortunately for me, the oven in my new apartment doesn't have any temperatures written on the handle thingy so I have no idea where 350 degrees is. I just guess and hope for the best. My proudest cooking accomplishment was a Brazilian dish called Nhoques de Forno a.k.a. Mashed Potato and Meat Pie. Josh's mom said she remembered her mother making this dish so I know it is legit. I decided to chronicle the entire 2 1/2 (pealing, washing, and boiling 8 potatoes took at least an hour) hour cooking experience with a series of photos:


The recipe (from "Extending the Table"). Step 1 was by far the worst; pealing potatoes is no fun.


While the potatoes boil, you mix together milk, butter, cheese, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder.


When the potatoes are done, mash em' all up nice and good.

Then add the milky cheesy mixture to the potatoes.


Pour half the potato mixture into a glass baking dish and put thin slices of cheddar on top (the recipe also called for ham but I didn't want ham in mine).

Spread the rest of the potato mixture over the sliced cheddar.


Pop it into the (super vintage) oven for 30 minutes.

While the potato dish bakes, brown 1lb (though recipe called for 1/2) ground beef and onions

Add about 3/4 of a jar of tomato sauce to the mixture.

Spread the meaty mixture onto the potato-cheesy stuff.

Pop it into the oven for 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy...

...oh wait, there's a billion dishes to do now! So much for enjoying this...

In addition to all my cooking, I also cleaned everything I could: sinks, toilets, bath tubs, bunny cages, turtle aquariums, floors, you name it! And I did loads and loads of laundry. And a housewife can't forget the most important thing to keep pretty...her face!


Looking sexy in my Boots Botanics Conditioning Clay Mask!

I enjoyed my October, filled with the perfect mix of laziness, movie making and housewifery. I started my AmeriCorps job this week and I absolutely love it. To learn more about the organization I work for, check out their website (which is now my job to help fix...haha): http://www.youthbuildcharter.org/

I'll be sure to blog about my new job soon enough! XOXO

Pinterest is Officially My Newest Favorite Time-Wasting Website!

2011-09-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

Kevia is so trendy! She knows all the coolest websites!

Oh my word! Have you heard of Pinterest? If not, you need to go online right now and request an invitation because I swear you will be obsessed with it within minutes.

My friend Kevia mentioned it the other day while we sat around a bonfire eating cheese and drinking wine and I laughed. She told me about how she had Pinterest boards for everything, including her wedding (and she's not engaged or seeing anyone) and I told her she was insane. But then I went on Pinterest and I couldn't stop pinning. And, yes, I succumbed and created my own Pinterest Wedding board.

So what is Pinterest?? It's a nifty website where you can post virtual bulletin boards on all sorts of topics-- whatever suits your fancy. For instance, I have a board for wedding ideas, style inspiration, books I need to read, apartment decor to buy, places I want to go, etc. It's perfect for when you're browsing the web and stumble upon a super cute skirt that you don't have the money to buy, but don't want to forget about its existence.

Here's a view of what my Apartment Decor board looks like

You just click the "Pin It" button you install to your Bookmarks Bar on your web browser.

Just click "Pin It" on your bookmarks bar (Yes, that's Hello Kitty on my Firefox. Judge me all you want.)

Then a little box pops up where you can choose a photo of the product from whatever website you are currently on, add a note and the price, and select a board to post it to.

After clicking "Pin It," this little box pops up where you can add notes and categorize.

That way, when you have more money, you can go back and easily find it on your Pinterest board. It's also a great tool to share ideas, products and images with others. You can even connect with friends from Facebook so they can follow all of your most recent pins and you can re-pin things other people post as well.

Color me officially obsessed. You can check out my Pinterest board here: http://pinterest.com/emily_suttmeier/

"I bring you tidings of great joy!!"

2011-09-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

Two quick pieces of good news:

1. I officially have a job when I get back to L.A.! Can I get a what what?!?!? The job won't start until November 1st, so if anyone has any work they need done that they are willing to pay me for (strictly non-sexual please) during the month of October, please let me know.

So I'm sure y'all are wondering where I'll be working and you can bet your bottom dollar that I am excited to share all the juicy details with you! Well, as you know, times are hard and California has one of the worst economies of the whole U.S., so I decided to ride out this recession by taking an awesome gig with AmeriCorps through the YouthBuild program. Well now you're probably even more confused.

You must be thinking to yourselves, Emily, how could you just give up on your Hollywood dreams like that and sell yourself out by taking a government-sponsored job? Welp, all I can say is I am broke and my student loans aren't helping the matter and this job is actually really really awesome and I am looking forward to working there. Let me tell you a bit more about it. My specific position would be as a "resource developer" working for the YouthBuild Charter School of California.

I'll be helping raise awareness about YouthBuild and the charter schools that are part of the YouthBuild Charter program in LA and greater LA area. In addition, I'll help with fundraising and grant-writing. It seems like most of my job will be promoting the charter schools through social media, so it should be a lot of fun. I think it will be a great opportunity for me to gain more experience in the fields of Public Relations and grant writing, skills I can use in the film world as well.

So the job is a one year commitment and the plan is to hopefully ride out the recession there, and when my term is up, I'll either get a film gig somewhere or go back to school for something else. We shall see. I'll write more about all this job stuff as it develops.

2. My Box Office Blog for the Woodstock Film Festival is back! You can check out my first post here: http://woodstockfilmfest.blogspot.com/2011/09/emilys-box-office-blog-20-post-1.html

Alrighty, off to Mandy's to play some Glee Karaoke Revolution because I'm cool like that!

Best Gluten-Free Food

2011-09-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

Last August, I was diagnosed with celiac disease (an allergy to gluten a.k.a. the stuff that's in wheat). For years, I'd been feeling horrible-- constant stomach pains, headaches, dizziness, exhaustion, skin break-outs and more (I won't go into graphic detail here) and I was always told it was because I was "stressed". Thank goodness my amazing doctor in L.A. figured out what the real problem was (you are awesome, Dr. Karen Sandler!!). I was shocked at how quickly I felt better after only a week without gluten in my diet. However, as someone who use to take the cheese and sauce off her pizza and eat only the chewy delicious crust, this was devastating news. No more pizza, bagels, pasta, cereal, cake, cookies, donuts, bread, etc. I had no idea how I was going to survive!

Or so I thought... Turns out, there are now tons of options out there for people with celiac disease and also those crazy people who choose to take wheat out of their diets for the fun of it. At first, it seemed I had to shop primarily at Whole Foods (which, in LA, is a place that tends to be both expensive and filled with pretentious a-holes) which started to take its toll on my bank account. Luckily, this whole gluten-free thing has started to take the country by storm and now even regular old chain grocery stores, such as Ralphs in California and Hannaford in New York, have entire aisles dedicated to gluten-free foods now. Living in LA, I am privileged enough to have access to a 100% gluten-free grocery store in Burbank called Pam MacD's, some amazing gluten-free bakeries like Babycakes in downtown LA (there's also one in NYC) and The Sensitive Baker in Culver City, and pizza companies that deliver gluten-free pizzas such as Z Pizza. While home visiting my parents in upstate NY, I went out to eat at an Italian place called Enzo's, where they now have an entire page of their menu for us gluten-free folk!! I was shocked to find that I could order gluten-free pizza, baked ziti, broccoli scampi and more. I was in gluten-free heaven!!

Anyways, I've also had my fair share of gluten-free food that was absolutely disgusting. I've had bread that crumbled into a million pieces when I tried to toast it (gluten is the stuff that really holds bread together and makes it chewy so it's hard to find gluten-free bread that is similar to the normal stuff you might be used to), bagels so hard and dense it took ages to chew one bite and brownies that tasted so disgusting I had to throw the entire batch out (that might have had to do with my poor cooking/baking skills). Because I've had my hits and misses with this gluten-free diet, I figured I'd share a list of some of my favorite gluten-free products so any of you who are either trying to eat healthier or were recently diagnosed with celiac disease can have some guidance.

BEST BREAD AND BAGELS:

1. Udi's- Udi's is, BY FAR, my favorite brand of gluten-free bagels. They are the only gluten-free bagels I've had that I loved and could chew. I've tried two other brands and hated them. I honestly had to toss an entire bag of super expensive (I'm talking $10 for 4 bagels) g-free bagels because they were so disgusting. Udi's are pre-cut, so you don't have to worry about warming the bagels so you can cut them before you toast them. They are also amazingly chewy and flavorful. Still not quite like the New York bagels I am used to, but they are the closest I've been able to get. Their bread is also my favorite g-free bread to get. I freeze it and toast it to make sandwiches although you can also keep it in the cupboard and eat it without toasting it (it's chewier if you toast it though.) You can get Udi's at most health food stores (like Whole Foods or Mother Earth) and also most supermarkets (like Ralph's and Hannaford). Sometimes, Ralphs will put Udi's products in their mark-down "Manager's Special" section and you can get their products for super cheap ($3 instead of $6).

2. Rudi's- If you can't find Udi's go with Rudi's! Their bread is also pretty wonderful. I find that it crumbles a little more than Udi's when toasted and it tends to be a bit denser. Tastes great though! You can usually find coupons for $1 off Rudi's online, so I'd recommend printing out some coupons before heading to the store. They make a kick-ass cinnamon raisin bread too!

BEST BAKED GOODS AND COOKIES

1. Udi's- OK, Udi's wins here as well. They make these AMAZING double chocolate muffins that I freeze and eat right out of the freezer that are to die for. Honestly, I think they are better than a lot of the non-gluten-free muffins I've bought from supermarkets. They also make delicious cinnamon rolls that I heat in a microwave and eat on the go if I don't have time to have a sit-down breakfast. Since they can get kind of pricey and only come in a 4-pack, I'd suggest looking up coupons or checking the Manager's Special section to get a better bargain.

2. Glutino- Glutino makes THE BEST gluten-free chocolate-vanilla creme (aka Oreo) cookies. I've almost convinced myself that they are better than regular Oreos. You can occasionally get them on sale at Whole Foods for about $4 and they are totally worth it. I love eating them with peanut-butter. You can also use them to make a gluten-free cheese-cake crust (which Sarah did for my b-day this year).

BEST SNACK FOODS

1. Glutino- Glutino also sells terrific gluten-free pretzels. I love their chocolate-covered ones, but they have huge family bags of regular pretzels too. I could eat an entire bag in one sitting. They also make delicious crackers. I discovered this because my church uses Glutino crackers for communion for people with wheat allergies. I think they taste way better than the regular communion wafers! I like their vegetable flavor crackers the best. They also have a variety of granola bars and breakfast bars which I've been dying to try.

2. Chex- Yes, I realize Chex is a cereal, but I love snacking on Chex too. And of course, you can make Chex Mix in a jiffy! Pre-packaged Chex Mix is not gluten-free (because of the pretzels and bread thingies) but if you make your own with peanuts and gluten-free pretzels it tastes better than the pre-packaged stuff! Sarah used to make me giant batches of g-free Chex Mix that I'd take with me to work to snack on when I got hungry. She also made puppy-chow (the sweet version of Chex Mix that has powdered sugar, peanut butter and chocolate mixed in) that was super yummy that I'd eat for dessert. If you check out their website, they have a variety of other g-free recipes that I'd love to try out. Note: Not all varieties of Chex are gluten-free (avoid Wheat and Multi-Bran).

Me enjoying a Lärabar

3. Lärabars and Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch Bars- I don't love all the flavors Lärabar makes, but there are some pretty tasty ones. They are very filling, so they're perfect for those times when you're super hungry and don't have time to make a full meal. I really enjoy the coconut cream pie, peanut butter & jelly, and chocolate chip brownie ones. Not only is Lärabar a gluten-free product, they are also vegan-friendly, and Kosher! As for Nature Valley, unfortunately most oats and oat-products (like granola) are not gluten-free. Therefore, I can't eat Nature Valley granola bars anymore. However, my mom surprised me last night with a box of Nature Valley's gluten-free Roasted Nut Crunch Bars and they were super tasty! They come in Peanut and Almond and are a great source of protein, especially for people on the go.

BEST PASTA

1. Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta- First off, you may be wondering what the heck quinoa is! As the name of this pasta brand suggests, it is an ancient grain that we don't really eat too much of anymore here in the good ole' USA, but we should because it's awesome! My favorite pasta they make are their garden pagodas-- both colorful and delicious! They have a large variety to offer though, including linguine and spaghetti, shells, rotelle, elbows and, of course, the garden pagodas. My only issue is that they are a bit expensive for the amount that you get, so try to stock up when there is a sale. I tend to find this brand at health food stores and chains like Whole Foods.

2. Annie's Gluten-Free Macaroni- As a girl raised by a health-food mom, I grew up on Annie's macaroni. We were NEVER allowed to get that orange cheesy Kraft stuff that had the cool characters from tv shows we werent' allowed to watch. I was happy to find that Annie's makes a gluten-free variety of their all-natural macaroni and it's just as tasty as their original mac-n-cheese! It's made with rice pasta and, just like their other varieties, it comes in a box with the cheese powder and you just need to add milk and butter. Easy cheesy!
3. Deboles Corn Pasta- So far, I've covered quinoa pasta and rice pasta, but people with celiac disease can also enjoy pasta made from corn. It tend to be a bit denser, chewier and stickier than regular pasta, but it's not bad. Deboles makes my favorite kind of corn pasta and you can find this stuff at pretty much any grocery store. I like their penne and angel hair varieties. They are also a bit more affordable for people on a budget like myself.
4. Thai Kitchen Noodle Carts- As someone who is not much of a chef, (my mom is trying to change this...) I love products that provide a tasty, filling meal with minimal work. Thai Kitchen's Noodle Carts come in a variety of delicious flavors and make big enough portions that you can eat them over the course of several meals. One of the best parts about finding out I had to follow a gluten-free diet was learning that most Thai food is gluten-free (make sure to ask for gluten-free soy sauce) because it's made from rice noodles. As a lover of Pad Thai, I now have an excuse to buy these Thai Kitchen Noodle Carts or go out for Thai food all the time! Yum!!

BEST FLOURS AND BAKING MIXES

1. Bob's Red Mill- Bob's Red Mill makes some of the best gluten-free flours and baking mixes out there, and Bob's products are always readily available in most supermarkets. I tend not to buy Bob's Brown Rice Flour because I can get it cheaper at Whole Foods, where I can scoop it out of their self-serve section and get just the amount I need. However, I do like buying some of their other flours and baking ingredients, such as Potato Starch, Sorghum Flour, Tapioca Flour, Teff Flour, Xanthan Gum (which helps gluten-free baked goods stick together and have a bit of chewiness that gluten gives to regular flour) and Amaranth Flour, which are hard to find elsewhere. They also have delicious brownie, cornbread and cake mixes.
2. Betty Crocker- Yes, even Betty Crocker has hopped on the gluten-free train, and BC products tend to be way cheaper than some of the other gluten-free baking mixes out there. Right now, they have chocolate chip cookie mix, yellow cake mix, devil's food cake mix and chocolate brownie mix, but I'm sure they'll be adding more when they see the money they can make by catering to us gluten-free folks. If you add a cup or two of chocolate chips to the brownie mix, you will have some mouth-watering chocolatey treats that no one will know are gluten-free! Betty Crocker also owns, Bisquick which means that you can also get some super cheap and super yummy gluten-free pancake mixes at pretty much any grocery store anywhere now. The best part about g-free Bisquick is that you can use it as breading for chicken! Mmmmm Mmmmm!

PIZZA AND PIZZA CRUST
1. Udi's Pizza Crusts- I've had a few good gluten-free pizzas since I've been diagnosed with celiac disease, but I find that using Udi's pizza crusts is both a cheaper (most g-free pizzas you can order from pizza places are tiny and cost around $14 for a personal pan pizza sized pizza) and more delicious option. A 2-pack of Udi's crusts runs for about $5-$6 and then you just need to add sauce, cheese and your choice of toppings. I've yet to be disappointed from a pizza I've made using these crusts.

2. Amy's- Amy's makes a wide variety of gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan products, including some awesome pizzas. Though pricey, Amy's rice crust cheese pizza is delicious and easy to heat and eat if you're like me and generally feel too lazy to cook. They also have spinach, vegetable and margherita pizzas all made with rice crusts.

If you're on a gluten-free diet and have any recommendations, I'd love to hear about them!!

Hurricane Irene Hits the Hudson Valley/Catskills

2011-08-29T14:15:00.000-07:00


We put this outside my house- it was empty Saturday night and full Sunday morning.

First the media freaked out about Hurricane Irene, then they found out "New York was fine" and everyone freaked out about how freaked out the media was when "nothing happened." I'm sorry, but there is more to NY than just NYC. Yes, thankfully the hurricane didn't hit the city as hard as they had expected, but it did hit us in the Hudson Valley/Catskills pretty badly. The power is out in most of the neighborhoods around me (including our film fest offices in Woodstock), several of my friends have houses that have completely flooded, I am stranded where I am right now since so many roads and bridges are closed due to flooding, and I'm not even in the worst-hit area. A piece of the ceiling in my room in Woodstock fell through after the rains pounded too hard, so I am currently bunkered down with my two Woodstock roommates at my parents' house in Saugerties.

It is really starting to irk me that the media has failed so horribly at covering the areas that were truly devastated by Irene. Since the city was fine, people just assumed everyone else was, but that is simply not the case. It's sad that the only major news source to report on the horrific conditions in upstate NY was Fox News. We were largely ignored by CNN, where their major news story on Monday morning was how "Irene failed to wow New Yorkers" and how residents of the city were "disappointed" in how "tame" it was. Yeah, not cool CNN. Here are just a few pictures of the devastation in Upstate NY/ the Catskills. It's been amazing to see the power of social media work where the major news stations failed. Most of the news I've been getting has been through Facebook and Twitter. One of the best Facebook pages for updates in my area was Hudson Valley Weather-- a great source for road closures, photos and updates on how towns in the Hudson Valley fared. Another fantastic source for news in the area is the local website/newspaper The Watershed Post.

I took these pictures around noon on Sunday at the Saugerties Town Beach, which was being flooded by the Esopus Creek. These are nothing in comparison of what is to come...

Oh the irony!

Water park?


Debris being swept away be the Esopus

No day for a picnic

Swinging in the rain?

Water slide!

Here are some more pictures of the Esopus Creek area in Saugerties:

Where they docked the Clearwater

These crazies were trying to secure their boat

Punch buggy drowned! (no punch backs)

As I said, the photos I took are TAME compared to the flooding in Greene County, Delaware County and some other sections of my own Ulster County. Here's a look at some of the hardest hit areas (Note: I did not take any of these photos):

Mauro took this of Route 212 in Saugerties

This is what The Strand in Kingston, NY looked like Sunday afternoon (posted on Hudson Valley Weather)

My friend Amy uploaded this

Another photo of Rt. 212 Saugerties/Woodstock by Mauro

One of the worst hit areas was Margaretville, NY, where my friend Mellisa (aka Miss Thang) lives

Mauro took this one off of Rt. 212, Saugerties.

Bridge collapsed in upstate NY

Esopus Creek by the Saugerties Bridge around mid-day Sunday

Drowned building

Kari attempts to drive down Lighthouse Dr. in Saugerties. Road is closed now due to massive flooding.

Parking lot in Windham posted to Watershed Post

Kari took this at Story Farms, where the bridge collapsed. Poor pumpkins!

A friend took this pic. Not sure where he was located.

Windham was hit hard. All of downtown Windham is now wiped out. Windham is one of our favorite places to ski.

Governer Cuomo attempts to drive through flooded Margaretville - from Watershed Post

Morning after in downtown Windham (Watershed Post)

Remember that pic of CVS I posted up above? This is the inside now... (Watershed Post)

And the outside... for more photos of Margaretville, click here

Arial view of Schoharie, where Mohawk River and Schoharie Creek meet. (Watershed Post)

Boiceville- not too far from Woodstock


Mariners on the Hudson (Highland, NY) - I have a couple friends who work(ed) here

Here's a video taken not too far from where I live in the Catskills:

I'm hoping to put more pictures up soon. A recent report said it may take a week or more to get power back to us in the Hudson Valley, so as power comes back on and more of my friends update their Facebook accounts with pictures and videos of the damage, I'll be able to share more.

Support NORMAN's Kickstarter Campaign!!

2011-08-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

If you read my blog for the Woodstock Film Festival at all last year, you should know that was a huge fan of the movie "Norman," directed by Jonathan Segal. If you didn't read my WFF blog, see some of my assorted posts on the fantastic film here, here, here and here.

Too lazy to check out the links? Just read over my quick synopsis of the film:
Featuring a superb performance by Dan Byrd, (best know for his current role as Courtney Cox’s son in “Cougar Town,”) the film tells the story of a teen boy struggling to get through life despite all the obstacles thrown against him. What with his father sick with cancer, his mother dead, and the every day challenges any teen deals with, Norman finds himself caught in a lie that quickly catapults out of control. Humor and tragedy compliment each other beautifully as Norman must face the consequences of his lie.

You can also check out the trailer below:

And now that I have you totally interested in going to see "Norman" in theaters, let me give you all the info you need on how you can! On October 21, "Norman" will be released in select theaters in New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Spokane.

Making and distributing an independent film is tough work, so Director Jonathan Segal launched a Kickstarter campaign to help raise funds. You can pledge anywhere from $1 to $8,500, and not only will you feel good about yourself for donating, you can also get some pretty cool swag for helping out. They are trying to raise $15,000 by September 17, so every little bit helps!

Oh, the film also features a stellar soundtrack by one of my favorite musicians, the amazingly talented Andrew Bird! It's the first film Andrew Bird has ever scored a film, and you can pick up the soundtrack, courtesy of Mom + Pop Records, in stores and online on October 11.

For more information on the film, visit the official website at: http://normanthemovie.com/.
To donate to the Kickstarter Campaign, please visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2132143580/norman-the-movie
You can become a fan of the film on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/NORMANthemovie

I can't recommend this movie enough, so if you live in New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle or Spokane, come on out October 21 and see it!

The Many Faces of Samuel From Oxygen's "The Glee Project"

2011-08-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

PLEASE NOTE: Based on comments I received about this post (seems a lot of Samuel fans are out there) I toned down some of the language in my blog. Thanks for your feedback! I want everyone to know I don't have a problem with people looking "different" (I have friends with dreadlocks so that's def not an issue I have with Samuel) and I know "Glee" is a show that celebrates differences. My main issues with Samuel winning were that I felt other contestants on the show would have been WAY better characters and were also more talented singers/actors/dancers. That is all. OK. Feel free to proceed now...

Sing it again, Sam!

OK, so at this point, if you read my blog often enough, you should know that I'm a bit of a Gleek. (Or perhaps you never read my blog and you're like what on earth is a Gleek?!) Well, as someone who watches the show "Glee" religiously and without shame, downloads all the "Glee" soundtracks and owns both volumes of "Glee: Karaoke Revolution" for the Wii, I was of course thrilled that there was going to be a reality show called "The Glee Project" to select the newest Glee cast member.

Sam in the "confessional booth"

At first, I thought it was awesome, but then Ryan Murphy (Creator and Exec Producer of "Glee" and the main judge on "The Glee Project") started offing all of my favorite contestants. Pretty much any contestant that was likable or would have made for a great new "Glee" character was axed. I loved the fiery Latina bombshell, Emily (and not just because we share the same name). She had a powerful set of pipes and was not ashamed of who she was...but alas, she was not meant to be. And then there was McKynleigh, a gorgeous bi-racial Southern girl who had a country twang and would have been a unique asset to the show, but she too was axed. My original favorite contender was a Brazilian-American midget (ok, little person) named Matheus. He had a good voice and a spunky personality (although he got a bit cocky and became more and more annoying with each episode). Despite his setbacks, he still would have been the MOST UNIQUE NEW CAST MEMBER to Glee!!!

Intensity?

But no-- all three of these potential New Directions were sent packing. And from then on each week it seemed as though Ryan Murphy would choose the most likable contestant and give them the boot (even if initially he gave them positive feedback.) When bouncy, beautiful, bodacious redhead Hannah was not called back in the 3rd to last episode, I swore I'd stop watching the show...but something kept me from tuning out...Samuel.

The classic Samuel "listening face"

Ohhhhhhh Samuel!!! Ugh. Where do I begin? From the very first episode I thought he should have gotten the axe. He was so unlikable, his voice wasn't super amazing and he seemed like such a fake (he claimed to be a homeless musician on the streets of LA even though it was clear he had money). But the #1 thing that annoyed me about this dude were his facial expressions. He just made the most ridiculous faces and he always had this weird piercing smoldery glare going on that drove me absolutely bonkers. About three episodes in I decided to start chronicling his facial expressions with screenshots I took while I watched the show online. It became a bit of an obsession.

"I have Bible tats on my back! Wanna see???"

Now, before I go and show you all the crazy screen grabs of this guy I took, let me just say that I think it's great that he's a Christian and wants to present a strong Christian role model for the show. BUT...he waited until Ryan said he wanted to cast a Christian character on "Glee" to reveal that he had "Bible verses tattooed on his back." He waited until it was advantageous to reveal his "deep dark Christian past," and he never really discussed his personal relationship with God. Whereas Cameron (who quit the show because of his Christian convictions) was honest from the get-go about his faith and spoke openly about his relationship with Christ, Samuel spoke more about his tattoos and what his Christian mother would think if he were to play a gay character. And there I go running off on a tangent. Here are the photos I'm sure you've all been dying to see:

Episode 1: Music Video Shoot
A preview of the horrors to come...

This next series of stills is just hilarious...

"I'm sorry, what?!"

"Oh, really!"

"Yeah, I know I'm awesome!"

Self explanatory

Here's a selection of Samuel photos from music videos:

David Bowie?

Are there feathers in his lashes??

FIERCE!!!

Yeah, that sounds about right...


Stare into my eyes and I'll transfix you with my fox-like gaze...

Some More Winning Sam Shots:

Samuel was NOT satisfied with his singing abilities (and neither was I.)

Don't mess with this face... EEK!

Evil grin...

Don't let those wide eyes fool you.


"I call this, the smolder..."

Quit your pouting!


Belting it out in the studio

"Sometimes, when I get nervous, I grab my dreadlocks."

"The last time I cried? This afternoon!"

"Hmmmm... I think you are the least likable contestant, but I'll still kick Hannah off instead of you."

"I will NEVER accept defeat!!"

I also found these gems on Oxygen's Glee Project Website:

The caption for this one said it was taken after a "Mike Snow Concert." Hey, Sam, it's actually Miike Snow..just sayin'!

Homeless Hipsters Unite!

I'll admit it, the flowers are a nice touch, bro.

According to his Oxygen blog, this is how Sam likes to spend his Friday nights. A real winner we have here!

Sadly, I didn't have room to include all of my amazing Samuel pictures. If you'd like to see them, just email me. I have a folder of about 100 images.

BYEEEEE!!!!!!

"I am your worst nightmare."

UPDATE (I wrote this original blog before the results of "The Glee Project" were announced): OMFGLEEPROJECT!!! Samuel actually won the competition (well so did Damien but that still doesn't justify Samuel winning). UGH just UGH. I don't know if I can tolerate the show anymore. HOW DID HE WIN?!?!?!?!
My friend happened to be recording the finale of "The Glee Project" and caught my reaction to Samuel winning:

UPDATE 2: So now that we've seen his first official episode on "Glee" as dreadlocked Christian Joe Hart I shockingly didn't hate him as much as I thought. And props to Ryan Murphy for including a somewhat multi-dimensional Christian character. But only time will tell... I have a feeling I'm going to get irritated over time.

Photo Update on Life on the East Coast

2011-08-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

As you can tell, I have once again slacked off on updating this. Seeing as I'm bogged down with work at the moment, I can't exactly write a long post, so I figured I'd share a photo update instead. After all, pictures are more fun to look at than words!!

First, I spent one last day in LA with Ciaran, playing around and goofing off while his parents got ready for a family trip to Hawaii. According to Ciaran, I should have gone to Hawaii with them instead of heading back to NY for 3 months since Hawaii has "lots of pools."

Then, I flew across the country back to NY for the first time in a year. I landed at 1 a.m., and started my job at 1 p.m. that same day. Here I am at my old stomping grounds at the Woodstock Film Festival Box Office. Yes, I look pregnant; no, I am not pregnant. It's just an unflattering dress.

Then Josh came and visited!! It was his first time ever being on the East Coast, so we took him to NYC so he could see how normal New Yorkers live since us upstaters are boring. Here he is at the Met with Van Gogh. They make quite a pair!

I was hoping to check out the Alexander McQueen "Savage Beauty" exhibit. McQueen is (was...RIP) my favorite designer and I love how each of his garments are pieces of art. But sadly, my McQueen dreams were not to be realized that Thursday afternoon. There was a 3-hour wait to get into the exhibit, and since I had boyfriend and family in tow, I didn't want to waste their time waiting in line in the hot sun. I did manage to get a picture of the sign advertising the exhibit though! Score!!

Then we went to my all time favorite museum, The American Museum of Natural History!! Here I am with one of my dino friends! Oh, how I love dinosaurs!!

Josh had fun there too!! Here he is impersonating a mammoth. We are totally normal...

Next we traipsed off to Times Square so Josh could see where NYC tourists hang out. It was busy, as usual, but I enjoyed the new walkways they put in!

At the end of the day, we drove back upstate to Lame-o-ville (haha, I kid; I love Woodstock!!)

A week later, we headed down to Long Beach Island, NJ, for some fun in the sun. The drive down reeked (it is Dirty Jerz after all), but once we got to the beach all was well. Here is a photo of Josh trying to eat my face (or yawn?) and me looking weird as usual.

We did our traditional LBI trip to Barnegat Light, where we took some awesome photos. This one is super lovey-dovey (I apologize) but it looks amazing!! Thanks to Molly for taking this photo.

Josh had never been kayaking before, so I forced him to come out with me to the bay. He was a bit scared, but he did fine! The water was wonderful and calm, and we enjoyed checking out all the "rich people" houses. After about 20 minutes Josh had had his fill, and we headed back to the beach.

Saturday night we went to a super special banquet, so I dressed Josh up in a tie. It was funny. I didn't make him actually wear it to dinner though. Don't we look so fabulous though? Then Josh left on Monday afternoon to go back to LA and I was super duper sad. :(

Obviously this picture is not of me. It is of Renee Zelwegger playing "Nurse Betty." You might be wondering why I posted this picture. It does seem random. Well, it's not. Soooo I've been thinking a lot lately, and I'm considering going back to school to get my Associate's Degree in Nursing and becoming an RN. It may seem out of the blue, but I've been considering this for awhile. In fact, when I was in high school, I looked at colleges that had both film programs and biology programs because I wanted to be either a filmmaker or a doctor. Recently, I've felt a stronger call to help people by going into the healthcare field. There are plenty of 2-year colleges I could go to in LA to get my degree, and they are all pretty affordable. So I'm going to pray about it, and, if you are the praying type, please pray for me too! I am going to be heading back to LA in early October and won't have a job waiting for me, so it's a bit scary to think about right now. Pray that God makes it clear to me where he wants me to be and opens up doors for me along the way. I can honestly see myself as a nurse and being just as happy as if I were working in film. Sure, they are completely different career paths, but I know I love helping people and caring for the sick, so I think nursing would be good for me. This doesn't mean I'm giving up on my film dreams, and I still have several possible leads for me in the film world as well. We shall see what God has in store...

I'll be back soon to blog about Woodstock Film Festival shenanigans. I'm going crazy trying to watch as many films as possible! Stay tuned!

Best Places to Catch a Movie in L.A.

2011-07-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

I just finished a good two hours worth of "Glee Karaoke Revolution" and now my vocal chords are totally shot (and I didn't even get a perfect score on "To Sir, With Love" despite over seven attempts!) Anyways, I decided I ought to exercise my fingers instead so I can rest up my voice box for tomorrow when I go for attempt number eight.

I've wanted to blog about this for awhile, but never had the chance, and now, on the eve of my departure from this great metropolis, seemed like a better time than any to share my five favorite venues for seeing films in L.A. Here goes (in no particular order):

1. Grauman's Chinese Theatre: I've seen a few films here, and each time I do it's a magical experience. One of the most famous theaters in Hollywood, and possibly the world, Grauman's Chinese Theatre is right at the heart of the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame, next to the Kodak Theater (where the Oscars are held) and across from El Capitan. It's been around since the early days of Hollywood and its rich history adds to its appeal. At the forecourt of the theater, there are over 200 celebrity handprints, footprints and autographs, spanning several generations of stars. The theater itself is designed to look like a giant red Chinese pagoda, and it's absolutely stunning. Likewise, the interior is overwhelming to the eyes upon one's first visit. Grauman's hosts tons of premiers and red carpet events, so if you're lucky, you may spot a celeb or two while walking by at night. It's definitely a must-see for any tourist!

2. The New Beverly Cinema: The New Beverly Cinema is one of LA's longest running revival theaters. Whereas I love Grauman's Chinese Theatre for its lavish exterior, The New Bev's appeal comes from within-- it boasts some terrific programming. Their website states, "Since 1978, the New Beverly has screened the finest in classic, independent, cult and foreign films. Every paired program is a double feature and all feature films are presented in 35mm." Luckily for me, this theater, located on Beverly Blvd. off of LaBrea Ave, is totally walkable from my apartment complex. I don't even know where to begin lavishing praises on the New Bev. From its cool double-bill format to the amazing special guests they are able to lure in to the films you can see there that you wouldn't be able to see anywhere else in any format, everything about this place makes it a mind-orgasm for film geeks. Oh, and one of the awesomest parts about it? Quentin Tarantino owns the building! That's right, Tarantino (a New Bev frequenter) actually saved this theater when it was losing money and almost forced to shut its doors. He vowed that for as long as he continued to make money off his films the theater would stay open. There's a great article about QT's relationship with the New Bev here. But back to the excellent programming I mentioned earlier. One night you can catch a double bill of recently made indie films that didn't get much screen time when they initially came out, the next day they'll have an anniversary screening of a cult director's action movies with the cast in attendance, and the day after that you'll be treated to a couple classic Chaplin films. In addition, the cinema always brings in terrific guest programmers like Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman. Tarantino himself programmed all the films that screened this March in honor of his birth month (he and I share a 3/27 bday!!), choosing his favorite grindhouse flicks to share with audiences. I saw "Redneck Miller," "Crackhouse," "White Lightning," and "The Last American Hero" in March. I came back in April for a screening of one of my favorite newer films "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," and director Edgar Wright showed up with some of the cast members for a Q&A afterwards. If you want to go see a retro film and get all sorts of random bonuses along with it, the New Bev is the place to be. Any Angelino with a passion for film needs to go at least once. (Caution: This place is often full of film snobs and cinephiles so if you can't take the heat, get out of the cinema...)

3. Cinespia at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery: Cinespia's summer screenings at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery are always a blast. I wish I were able to attend more of them. Now in its 10th year, Cinespia always has a terrific summer line up of classic films of all genres. Whether it's cult classics like "Harold and Maude, horror flicks like "Evil Dead 2," or comedies like "Young Frankenstein," there's something for everyone. Projected outdoors on a giant screen on the lawn near the rear of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the final resting place of some of Hollywood's greatest, there really is nothing like it. To ensure the best Cinespia experience, be sure to bring a blankets, a picnic dinner, wine, comfy beach chairs and friends. You should try to arrive as early as possible since Santa Monica Blvd.'s right lane becomes clogged with hipsters heading to the cemetery for a night of fun, and the line to buy tickets can be super long even an hour before the start of the screening (Cinespia now offers pre-sale online tickets and parking passes on their website). Parking is a pricey $10 a vehicle (tickets are $10 each as well) so, if you're able, you should bike, walk or take public transpo. Once inside, take a stroll around the gorgeous grave stones and mausoleums and pay tribute to some Hollywood greats while you wait for the film to start. Try not to get spooked!

4. The Cinefamily @ The Silent Movie Theater: Like the New Beverly Cinema, Cinefamily @ The Silent Movie Theater features some fantastic programming. It's also pretty close to my part of town, located on 611 N. Fairfax Ave. (you can walk past Canter's Deli and pick up some tasty food on the way there or stop in for a bite on the way back--it's open 24/7). They show some awesome revival shows, including ones you'd never expect to see, and I'd say their palette is actually more diverse than the films shown at the New Bev. For example, they host events like a "Pajama Party" screening of "Josie and the Pussycats" with cast members in attendance; "Doug Benson's Movie Interruption," where Doug and his friends watch (pretty awful) movies and give their own running commentary; and "Jerry Beck's Animation Tuesday," in which you can catch some rarely seen animated flicks spanning across several decades. They also show a lot of great classic films as well as some foreign and indie films looking for an audience. I could go on and on about all of their awesome screenings and events, but you should just go to their site and check out their calendar for yourself. Note: Get there early or buy tickets in advance, since it's not a huge theater, and there are only a limited number of comfy couches. On the plus side: they have a bar area out by the patio where you can grab a drink before the show. On the down side: If you aren't lucky enough to get a couch seat, you might have to sit in one of their more uncomfortable chairs.

5. The Arclight in Hollywood: Ok, so compared to some of the other places on my list, the Arclight might sound lame. It's not a historical landmark and it isn't a revival theater and you can't bring wine and cheese in with you to snack on BUT if you're used to small town theaters or mall cineplexes, the Arclight will blow you out of the water. For one, the theaters there are HUGE! It was the first place I went to see a film when I moved to LA ("Slumdog Millionaire," which I ended up seeing there twice) and I couldn't stop gaping at how huge the interior of my theater was. One big difference at the Arclight from any of my previous theater experiences is that the Arclight has reserved seating. You can even reserve your seat online with the help of a handy seating chart. I, for example, like to sit somewhere around J21 or so, my boyfriend swears religiously by seats ~~B16 or 17~~ B22 (I apologize for the initial error). The ticket prices at the Arclight are usually slightly more expensive then some of the other theater complexes in LA, but the seats here are HEAVENLY! Seriously, I've fallen asleep in them before... The benefit of the Arclight Hollywood is that they often have directors and/or actors come to give and intro or Q&A during opening day/weekend (especially for indie films). I saw the film "Biutiful" here, and the director Alejandro González Iñárritu (one of my favorite directors) gave a terrific and lengthy Q&A afterwards. Josh has gotten to see tons more cool Arclight events than I have (including a special Arclight partnership with Amoeba Music that, for $35 got you a copy of the "Inglourious Basterds" soundtrack/a spot in line for Tarantino's exclusive signing event at Amoeba and a ticket to the midnight screening of the film at the Arclight, introduced by QT, natch). Warning: the parking lot for the Arclight is usually a mess on weekends so I recommend parking on a side street or taking public transpo/biking/walking if possible).

Well, that's a wrap. Note: I haven't been to every theater in LA, so if I left out your favorite, let me know (I really want to go to the Cineramadome and splurge on seeing a Disney film at El Capitan at some point).
Anyways, I really ought to start packing up for NY now...3 more days!!!!! Never fear, LA, I'll return to you come October!

Back In Black

2011-07-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

WOW! I was so busy with LAFF and film shoots and trips to Vegas that I haven't had time to blog in FOREVER! But now I'm back, and with several updates. Sorry this is so long, but here goes:

1. The Los Angeles Film Festival was AMAZING! I had so much fun, met so many incredible people along the way, and had the added bonus of seeing a ton of superb indie films along the way. Some of my favorites were:

Director Asif Kapadia

Senna-A brilliant documentary (seriously, one of the best and most engaging docs I've seen in years) about Brazilian Formula 1 racer Ayrton Senna (a risk-taker who died young at the age of 34). Unlike many documentaries that rely heavily on voice overs and talking heads, Senna feels more like a narrative than a documentary because it tells the story from Senna's point of view using only found footage of his races, old TV interviews he did and home videos taken by his younger brother. Director Asif Kapadia keeps his audience on the edge of their seats with every twist and turn Senna makes around the racetrack. Though I went into the film having no prior knowledge about Senna or Formula 1 racing or any sort of car racing in general, I was quickly drawn in and taken on an incredible and unforgettable ride.

José Padilha during Q&A

Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within- Josh and I saw this film right before we went to see Senna so it was like an awesome Brazilian double feature. Despite never having seen José Padilha's original Elite Squad (which won the Golden Bear in Berlin) I had no trouble following the action of the sequel (currently the highest grossing movie in Brazil). The film follows Colonel Roberto Nascimento, who is promoted from the head of BOPE (Rio's special police unit) to Rio's Undersecretary of Intelligence after calming a prison riot by ordering the deaths of the drug dealers involved (a move that makes him popular with the majority of civilians but not so much by his ex-wife's pacifist new husband Fraga). In his new position, Nascimento, now put in charge of all of the city's wiretapping, aims to exterminate all of the local drug operations by ordering police raids of the favelas. However, while he at first appears to be successful, he soon learns that while the drug lords and crime bosses are gone, they have been replaced by none other than the government's own evil Col. Fabio. He quickly discovers how corrupt the government he works for really is and decides to go against the tide and use his wiretapping resources to take them down. The film features terrific performances, edgy cinematography and wonderful storytelling. Definitely check it out if it comes to a theater near you.
Crime After Crime- A terrific, well-crafted documentary about the flaws of our criminal justice system when it comes to cases of battered women fighting back against the men who abuse them. The film follows the plight of Deborah Peagler, imprisoned since 1983 when she was accused of conspiring to kill her boyfriend, a man who abused her repeatedly and forced her into prostitution. At the time of her trial, there was no law in place that took account of her abuse. However, come 2000, California was the first to create a law allowing women who fought back against their abusers to submit evidence of their abuse and receive a retrial based on that evidence. Two idealistic attorneys decide to take on Peagler's case pro bono, assuming they'll have an easy victory in court and finally reunite Peagler with her family. What they get, however, is years lengthy battles with LA's tricky legal system, wrought with corruption and politician's who go back on their words. The doc is heart-breaking at times and uplifting at others and is sure to get audiences interested in the subject.

LAFF chose some awesome food trucks to cater!

Mamitas- This was definitely my favorite "In Competition" film of this year's festival. It's a teenage love story set in L.A.'s vibrant Latino community between Jordin, a suave player by day and adoring grandson by night, and Felipa, the nerdy but tough new girl. Though Jordin originally goes after her popular cousin, he begins spending time with Felipa, who sees past Jordin's macho man exterior, and they soon form an unlikely friendship, bonding over their issues with their single parents. Mamitas spotlights not only two new terrific young actors (EJ Bonilla and Veronica Diaz-Carranza) but also a promising new director in Nicholas Ozeki.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark- I was sure I wasn't going to get a chance to see our closing night film, the Guillermo del Toro produced Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, but I lucked out when one of our sponsors donated a number of unused tickets. I was also lucky I got my boyfriend to go with me, because I ended up hiding my head in his shoulder on more than one occasion! Based off a made for TV movie from the 70s, the reboot follows little Sally, whose LA-based mother decides to send her to live with her dad and his new girlfriend in a creepy Rhode Island mansion they're renovating together. While exploring her new home, the perpetually unhappy Sally starts hearing voices calling for her to come play. She follows the voices down to the previously undiscovered basement, but soon finds that the creatures are not as inviting as they seem. Her father, too busy trying to land the mansion on the cover of an architecture magazine, brushes off his daughter's tales of the creepy creatures as figments of her wild imagination, but his girlfriend begins to realize Sally might not be crazy after all. The creatures become more and more persistent and Sally's fear grows as she realizes they don't just want to play with her, they want to take her as one of their own! I was so entranced by the creepy film that when the fire alarms went off midway through I nearly jumped out of my seat!
Other Favorites: I don't have the space to go on about all the LAFF films I loved, but here's a list of some of my other fav fest films:
Hot Coffee- A closer look at the woman who spilled hot McDonald's coffee on herself and sued McDonalds. Turns out, it wasn't a frivolous lawsuit after all and there are many others like her...
Tomboy- A French film about a young tomboyish girl who moves to a new town and takes on a new identity, as a boy.
The Bully Project- This poignant doc about bullying and its effects in high schools around the country led me to tears.

Ti West speaks at the LA Times Lunch Talk

The Innkeepers- The newest horror flick from indie horror master Ti West tells the story of two bored 20-somethings working in a spooky run-down inn.
The Guard- This Irish take on the classic buddy cop genre features the unlikely pairing of a brilliant Brendan Gleeson with an equally brilliant Don Cheadle.

2. I finally OFFICIALLY QUIT TARGET!!! Thank heavens! As much as I loved celeb spotting, I'd had enough of being treated like a second class citizen by LA uppity types and too cool for school hipsters. I'll miss many of my co-workers there, but am glad to have made many lasting friendships (and boyfriendships -aka Josh) while working there. Don't worry, I'll be back (shopping that is). Also, I think I'll have my friends there guest blog here occasionally about the celebs they see so I can keep y'all informed about what types of diapers Jessica Alba buys for her babies and so on and so forth.

3. I am moving back to NY on July 18th to work for the Woodstock Film Festival for my 5th year in a row! While I am sad to leave my friends and boyfriend back in LA, I'm excited to be back east for my favorite time of year there! Summer-into-Autumn! I'll be living in Woodstock again, so if you are in NY and want to see me, you know where to find me. My plan is to head back to LA sometime in early October and start my job search and apartment hunt (yes, sadly I am moving out of my old apartment for good before I leave as well) all over again (EEK!). I'll be back here blogging about all the fab WFF films we're showing just as soon as I can watch them all!

4. Somehow, in the midst of LAFF madness, I managed to Co-Production Design (with Sarah as my other Production Designer) a short film directed by my friend Rick called "Broken Together." It follows five different characters, a crazy biker, a street preacher, a homeless woman, a gay café owner, and a cute girl, on a day when their lives all intersect. I had a blast helping out, but wish I could have put more time into it. Here are some production stills I took:

Our "homeless woman camp"

Sarah and I having fun on location

Taylor attempting a crazy bike jump

5. Kevia and Kari came to visit me in LA for a few days before the three of us drove to Vegas to spend 4th of July there. While stressful at times (I am not really the kind of person who likes to sit in stand-still traffic on a 90 degree day on Hollywood Blvd. just so my friends can take pictures of stupid stars and stuff) I also had a lot of fun! Here are some pictures from their visit:

We spent a gorgeous day at El Matador Beach in Malibu


The morning after a long night of partying


The view from our 30th floor hotel room at the Cosmopolitan in Vegas


Ready for another night out on The Strip


Josh came to drive home with me (5 hours in the desert is tough!)

The gorgeous bar in the main lobby of the Cosmopolitan

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes!!!

2011-05-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

So much has changed since my last blog post, and I've simply been too busy to blog about all of my ch-ch-ch-changes until now.

First things first, I no longer work at Target!! So sadly, there won't be anymore blog posts about Target celeb spottings (although I may have one of my former co-workers take over as guest blogger every now and then to keep y'all up to date) unless I happen to spot a star while doing my own shopping there. BUT on the bright side, I don't work at Target anymore!!! Currently, I am working for the Los Angeles Film Festival as a pass/ticketing representative. I'll only be there until the end of June, but I'm planning on returning to Woodstock in July to gear up for the Woodstock Film Festival, which will take place at the end of September this year. I love love love love love my new job! First of all, I make DOUBLE what I did at Target, so I feel like a billionaire right now (living on nine bucks an hour for a year was manageable, but by no means easy living).

LAFF hosted an anniversary screening of "Pretty in Pink" that I worked at (had to wear pink of course) and the directer Howard Deutch, Jon Cryer and Harry Dean Stanton all attended

Secondly, I get paid to watch films, tell people about them, and sell them tickets and passes to an amazing film festival. So far, I've gotten to screen several films (none of which I can talk about until we've screened them but it is definitely going to be a great fest!) Whereas WFF is all about being "fiercely independent," LAFF tends to mix popular movies with independent cinema, so we are showing everything from mumblecore films to moving documentaries to "The Green Lantern." LAFF also gets a ton more celebs, so I'm sure I'll have more to add to my celeb spotting blog posts. Speaking of celeb spotting, I saw Rebecca Black of "Friday" fame (or infamy) at the Grove the other day getting interviewed by Mario Lopez and I pretty much flipped a shit. Anywho, I'm glad I will be doing filmy things at least until this fall and hopefully when I come back to LA after WFF I'll be able to find more film festival or production work. I've already started screening films for Woodstock to help them narrow down their selection and I am oh so very happy to be "bogged down" with movies!! I look forward to being able to blog about them in the near future...

Second change is I finally caved and dyed my hair blonder (stupid LA peer pressure) but so far the feedback has all been positive. It isn't that much blonder and this picture actually makes it look a bit darker than it is, but I'll let you be the judge:

Before

After

Thirdly, I want to introduce you all to my new boyfriend, Josh. He's amazing and took me to the Railroad Revival Tour concert to see Mumford and Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, and Old Crow Medicine Show for my birthday, which was an INCREDIBLE experience! A few facts about Josh: 1.) He is actually a bigger movie and music buff than I am, 2.) He's also a giant nerd (of the Comic-Con variety) but I love him for it, 3.) He's Brazilian-American (I am so going to Rio for the World Cup in 2013 now!) and I look like and albino next to him.

Josh and I on my birthday

The concert was outside in San Pedro, CA- gorgeous!!

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

Mumford and Sons

Celebrities Are Just Like Us!: Emily's complete list of celeb spottings at the West Hollywood Target (updated 4/26/11)

2011-04-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

Emmy Rossum ponders what games to get at the WeHo Target

OK, so it has come to my attention that one of the only reasons people read this blog is to read my posts about famous people I've seen since moving back to L.A. Most of the stars I've run into while working at the West Hollywood Target store (the same Target where that crazy lady stabbed 4 people back in May 2010). So, I decided to compile a list of celebrities who shop at the West Hollywood Target for your enjoyment. There are some recent additions that I haven't added to my other blog post, so I figure I'll use this post to list only my Target celeb spottings. I will continue to update it as time goes on and more stars come to get great deals on spatulas, bathroom towels, shampoo, pet food, baby clothes, and more. In chronological order, starting with the most recent:

Jack McBrayer- Who? He plays the adorable Kenneth on "30 Rock." Where? I saw him walk past the Electronics department and immediately stalked him down into Luggage, where he asked for help finding a specific carry-on bag we happened to be out of. His mannerisms are exactly like Kenneth's and I love his accent! I just wish we had what he was looking for!

Kunal Nayyar- Who? Raj from "Big Bang Theory!" (Making him the 2nd BBT cast member I've seen at Target.) Where? I was heading down the main aisle to go on my lunch break and he walked past with another Indian woman (not sure if it was his sister or girlfriend or just a friend). This wasn't the first time I've seen him since I went to a taping of "The Big Bang Theory" with Jill a couple months ago. He was definitely my favorite cast member to watch during the taping as he often joked and danced in between takes. (Side note: my crazy cheering antics earned me a signed photo of the whole cast!)

Ashley Fink- Who? Another "Glee!" cast member!!!! She also appeared in the show "Huge." Where? Walking past the Electronics Department. I tried to make eye contact with her so I could ask if she needed help, but she seemed in a rush. Either way, I was super stoked to add another "Glee!" cast member to my list.

Taylor Swift- Who? Country-pop starlet who sings lots of songs about boys who break her heart. Where? OK, so technically I was not working at the time (I came in later that day) but this was one of our biggest sitings and my friend Jesse was there and told me all about it. Apparently the paparazzi were all over her and my friend Alberto is actually the guy in the background of this photo. She came in the day after the Country Music Television Awards looking for the Crosley 5-1 record player we sell, but just happened to be out of that day. Jesse had to give her the bad news that we had none in stock, but she seemed pretty cool about it. I guess the paparazzi got so bad one of my other co-workers had to block her with a giant cart filled with cardboard.

Mila Kunis- Who? Most recently she played Lily in "Black Swan," but she is still best known for playing Jackie on "That 70's Show" and voicing Meg on "Family Guy." Her film "Friends With Benefits" will be out later this year. Where? I was on my lunch break when my co-worker Zach texted me to tell me she was in the store. Ironically I was watching "Family Guy" at the time and it was a Meg-centric episode. Also, ironically, it also happened to be the day before "Black Swan" came out on DVD. Anyways, I figured she'd be gone by the time I got back from break, but Zach pointed her out to me, and there she was, picking out baby clothes with her assistant. I watched as they laughed and held up different outfits for about ten minutes (thank God the Electronics Department is right next to Infants!) They later moved on to check out the movies and gradually headed past me to the Seasonal Department but Mila was in the store for over an hour and I don't know if many people recognized her. Luckily, she came on a Monday night, so we were pretty dead. One of my other co-workers got his picture with her (she kindly agreed as long as they tried to take it discreetly so others didn't catch on). Anyways, I think she is gorgeous and funny and amazing so she was definitely one of my favorite celeb sitings at Target. Apparently, she's shopped here before, but I'd never seen her.

Mario Cantone- Who? Perhaps most-recognized for playing Anthony Marantino, Charlotte's catty gay wedding planner, on "Sex and the City," he is also a Tony-nominated actor and stand-up comedian. Where? He was with friends who were checking in to see if we had any iPad 2's in stock (we didn't). I didn't realize my co-worker was helping one of Anthony's friends already, so I asked him if I could help him find anything and he just pointed towards my co-worker and said he was being helped (in a semi-pissed off way).

Iqbal Theba- Who? A long-time character actor, he currently plays Principal Figgins in "Glee!" Thus, making him the fifth "Glee!" cast member I've seen at Target. (He also had a stint playing Abed's dad in "Community.") Where? I saw him walking by the Electronics Department, talking on his cell phone, so I didn't want to disturb him, but then he asked me where the web cams were (aisle F19 of course) and I helped him pick one out.

Shay Mitchell- Who? I had no idea who she was either! Apparently she plays Emily Fields in the CW teen drama "Pretty Little Liars." Where? She wanted advice about memory cards and I helped her pick out an SD card for her camera. While she deliberated with her friend over which one to get, another customer came up to me and asked, "Oh my God, is that the Asian chick from Pretty Little Liars??!!" and I just sort of stared blankly at her, having no idea what she was talking about. The fan girl ran to her mom to grab a pen, paper, and camera and then ran over to Shay, who was on her way out of the store. She confirmed that she was indeed an actress on the show and cheerfully signed an autograph and got her pic with the fan. It was sweet. I'm sure it was a thrill for her to even be recognized.

Sacha Baron Cohen- Who? Best known as Borat, he starred in "Da Ali G Show" as several personalities including Bruno (also made into a movie), Borat, and Ali G. Where? Walking past the Electronics Counter. My co-worker had seen him in the store once before and he pointed him out to me. I don't know if I would have recognized him otherwise as his face was hidden behind a ball cap and beard.

Gillian Jacobs- Who? She plays Brita Perry on one of my favorite shows, NBC comedy "Community." She was also in the movie "Choke" and an indie film we showed at the Woodstock Film Festival this year called "Helena from the Wedding." Where? I helped her get a video game (Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box for the Nintendo DS). I thought it was her, but because she wasn't wearing makeup and her hair was pulled back I wasn't sure. Then I saw her Fendi bag and I assumed it was her. When she handed me her credit card and I saw the name, I knew for sure and I told her I was a big fan before she left. She smiled warmly and said "Thanks so much." Made my day.

Mel B- Who? Mel B aka Scary Spice of the Spice Girls! Where? Christmas Eve near the Electronics Counter of Target. She was with her husband and her kid (all wearing Santa hats). I only got a glimpse of her, but my co-worker confirmed it was her since he was the one who helped her.

Mark Wahlberg!- Who? Uhhh he's Mark Wahlberg, what else can I say. (He talks to animals! And always makes sure I say hi to my mother for him.) Where? The cosmetics area of Target. I asked him if I could help him find something and he said "Thanks, but I think I found it." Surprisingly, he was looking sort of fat-ish. Well, fat for a guy who used to do underwear commercials and have washboard abs. He was with some other guy, who was probs his assistant. The thing is, I find it really hard to believe that Mark Wahlberg would shop at Target. UPDATE: At first, I thought it couldn't be him, but on Black Friday weekend he returned to the store with his wife and kids and it was confirmed!

Chris Kattan: Who? Actor/Comedian best known for his ten year run on "Saturday Night Live" and for the film "Night at the Roxbury" and currently featured on the show "The Middle." Where? Complaining about how we were out of "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" blu-rays in the Electronics Department sometime around 9:30pm. Apparently, he claims he called the store five minutes before he left and was told we had ten in stock. Neither myself, nor my co-worker took a call about "Scott Pilgrim" blu-rays AT ALL yesterday, so we think he either called the wrong store or is completely delusional. My poor co-worker got a stern talking to by Chris, but there was nothing either of us could have done. Trust me, I was just upset about "Scott Pilgrim" selling out on blu-ray as I was planning on buying it as well. Update: Ironically, poor Mr. Kattan came back into Target recently to pick up a blu-ray copy of "127 Hours" and once again, we were out. Both times, my co-worker Josh had happened to purchase the last blu-ray copy hours before Chris came in.

Paul Scheer: Who? Actor/Comedian ("The League," "Human Giant," "Best Week Ever" and cameos in several other tv shows and films) Where? Walking with two large plastic lawn chairs past the Electronics Department towards the front to check out. I knew I recognized him, but I couldn't remember what he'd been in so I googled "gap-toothed bald actor" and eventually found out who he was.

Chris Colfer: Who? Kurt from "Glee!" Where? Electronics Department. It was early-ish in the day and I was helping some people with cameras when I saw him go over to the register to pay for his things. I quickly left the people I was helping so I could tell him how huge a fan I was. "You are like awesome," I said to him giddly, "like seriously you're my favorite person on the show." He was very gracious. We chit chatted about how other "Glee!" cast members shop at the West Hollywood Target and he told me that Jane Lynch lives right up the road. He was very sweet and a pleasure to talk to. What did he buy? The Blu-ray disc "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy, a shower curtain, a poster, a blanket, a photo album, scotch tape..., and a scrapbooking tool.

Amber Rose: Who? Model, fashion icon and on-again-off-again girlfriend of "the voice of our generation" Kanye West. Where? Electronics Department. I was alerted to her presence by several of my co-workers, who had been stalking her around the store. She looked lost, so I headed her way. "Miss," she called to me sweetly, "could you tell me where your house phones are at?" I showed her over to Aisle F 23 and she thanked me.

Forest Whitaker- Who? Oscar-winning actor ("The Last King of Scotland") Where? Ok, well I didn't actually see him, but I was in the Assets Protection Office (aka Target security people) acting as a witness (when someone gets caught trying to steal they need someone to sit in the office by the holding cell while the A.P. officers take down notes until the police show up) and I heard a call come over the walkies alerting the head officer that Forrest Whittaker was in the store and to make sure no one with large cameras (aka paparazzi) come in and try to photograph him. Several of my co-workers saw him, but by the time I was relieved of my duty, he was gone.

Summer Glau- Who? Sci-Fi Hottie (credits include: "Dollhouse," "The 4400," "Firefly," "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." Where? On her way to check out at Target. I knew she was about ready to head out, but I figured it would be my only chance to talk to her ever so I asked if she found everything ok, and she responded, "Yes, we're on our way to checkout." It was awesome. She was with some guy I didn't recognize, perhaps an assistant.

Jane Lynch- (twice)- Who? Sue Sylvester from "Glee" (other credits include: "The L Word" and "Best In Show") Where? The Domestics area of Target. Jane Lynch has definitely been my favorite celeb interaction so far. She was super friendly. I asked her if I could help her find anything and she asked where the curtain rods and bedding were. I told her where the curtain rods were and pointed to the giant sign that said "Bedding" and told her that's where the bedding was. She left and joked about how stupid she was not to see it and thanked me for my help. Later, I saw her again and she smiled and thanked me again for my help. I also overheard her on the phone and she is one of those people who likes to pronounce Target "Tarzhay." She was also wearing clothes very similar to her "Glee" character (wind pants and a sweatshirt) which surprised me. I wrote an entire post dedicated to the second time I had a Target interaction with her. View it here.

Tania Raymonde- Who? Alex Rousseau from "Lost." Where? In the Housewares Department of Target. She was with her mom (who I think is French since she didn't speak great English). They asked me if I could help them find where the vases and fake flowers were and I pointed them in the right direction. She is gorgeous.

Mark Salling- (twice) Who? Puck from "Glee"- Where? Once he was in my checklane and I totally got to check him out! MMMM mmmm good! I didn't recognize him at first because he didn't have his trademark mohawk. The second time, the mohawk was back and I saw him around the Health and Beauty area of Target. He isn't super friendly in person. He barely said a word to me while I was ringing up his groceries. He mostly tries to get in and out of the store without having to interact with anyone if possible, but still he is hella hot.

Milla Jovovich- Who? Star of such films as "The Fifth Element" and "Resident Evil."- Where? Checklanes. I heard a girl screaming and crying ridiculously loudly and of course she ended up being in my line. I was rather pissed because I had a headache. Then, it turned out that the woman with the girl was just her nanny. The screaming girl belonged to none other than Milla Jovovich, who was in another section of the store and came running to her daughter's aid when the shrieks reached glass-breaking levels. Immediately the girl calmed down and all was well in the world. I am 100% positive it was Milla Jovivich because I had to ID her for the cold meds she was buying. (At Target, we always ID for cold meds b/c you never know if someone owns a meth lab or something). Either way, she was super nice and she also likes pepperoni pizza because she had the nanny go order her and her daughter some.

Chris Ivery- Who? Husband to actress Ellen Pompeo (who plays Meredith Grey on "Grey's Anatomy")- Where? Checklanes at Target on the same day I checked out Milla Jovovich. The woman I was checking out before him turned around and asked if she knew him because he looked familiar. He just smiled and said "I'm married to Meredith Grey of Grey's Anatomy" and the woman (an Orthodox Jew) started freaking out and told him how big of a fan she was of the show. Then they chatted about their kids (both had babies with them). Chris was very nice to me and even made a point to say, "Thanks so much, Emily! Have a great day!"

Simon Helberg- Who? Howard Wolowitz from "The Big Bang Theory." Where? He was in the check lane next to the one I was stationed at. He wears his hair slicked back when he isn't in character, but he still wears tight pants.

Michael Emerson- Who? Ben Linus from "LOST." Where? He was in the check lane next to mine. His eyes are just as creepy in person.

Chris Pratt- Who? Andy from "Parks and Recreation" - Where? I checked him out and checked him out. He made me like him even more when he helped me bag his items and his assistant or girlfriend was super nice and chatty. Unfortunately, he was, like so many Target customers, on his cell phone for most of our interaction.

Maybe it was them, maybe it was their doppelganger?:
Ok, so sometimes I am pretty sure I've seen a celeb, but couldn't get a good enough look or wasn't positive. I put the percent positive I was about the following celebs/possible celebrity doppelgangers after each name.

- Jessalyn Gilsig- 90% positive: Who? Terri Schuester from "Glee" Where? Twice. Once she was in in my checkout line and the other time with her kid in the toy section. If it is her, she is much nicer and less crazier than her "Glee" character.

- Jesse Tyler Ferguson- 70% positive: Who? Mitchell on "Modern Family"- Where? He was in the check lane in front of mine. If it is him, he rocks the red beard both in and out of character.

- Ellie Kemper-85% positive: Who? Erin on "The Office." Where? She was checking out at the register behind mine. She seemed really sweet and was chatting with the cashier who was ringing her up. I don't think anyone recognized her as she wasn't wearing much make up and has sort of an average looking face...so maybe it wasn't her...

Jessica Alba with her daughter at the West Hollywood Target

Celebs my co-workers have seen at Target include:
-Michael C. Hall
-Jody Foster
-Shane West
-Chris Judd
-The guy who plays Kurt's dad on Glee
-Jennifer Aniston
-Jessica Alba
-Ellen Page
-Soleil Moon Frye (Punky Brewster now designs a line for Target)
-Gavin Rossdale along with his and Gwen Stefani's kids
-Leonardo DiCaprio
-Jodi Sweetin
-Usher
-Tyrone
-Elizabeth Mitchell
-Leona Lewis
-Nick Lachey
-Fred Durst
-Britney Spears
-Jonah Hill


LEO!

-Donald Faison
-Sarah Chalke
-Anna Paquin
-The guy who sang "Chocolate Rain"
-The "Golden Voice" homeless guy
-Amy Adams
-Taylor Swift

Bunny Love

2011-03-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

Last summer I took a trip down to Santee Alley near the Fashion District in Downtown LA. Santee Alley is similar to Chinatown in NYC in that they are the best places to score illegal knock-off designer bags, jewelry, sunglasses, pirated DVDs, etc. Santee Alley also boasts a strong selection of animals for sale for super cheap. Word is, if you know the right people, you can score exotic birds and even monkeys there. But on that particular summer afternoon, it wasn't a monkey that caught my eye, but an adorable baby bunny. I fell in love immediately, but wasn't sure what my roommates would think if I were to bring a bunny home, so I held off...

Months passed and I began to long for a furry pet. My turtle just wasn't cutting it. I talked to my roommates and they all seemed down for getting a bunny, so I began to research. In my research, I stumbled across this site: http://www.bunnyworldfoundation.org The website opened my eyes to the horrors of black market bunnies Santee Alley. The truth is, the bunnies there were being sold illegally by Mexican street vendors. Taken from their mothers far too early on, these bunnies were often only a few days old (though vendors lie and say they are many months old). Subjected to scorching sunlight and fed all the wrong food, the bunnies often die days after being purchased. Bunny World Foundation was a non-profit that led raids along with the LAPD to rescue these poor bunnies and nurse them back to health. I immediately knew I wanted to adopt one of these rescue bunnies.

Here's a brief KTLA clip about the illegal bunny sales on Santee Alley:

After filling out a 35 question, 9 page-long application (they want to make sure you will be a good bunny owner since these poor bunnies have been through enough), I received a phone call from BWF President & Founder Lejla Hadzimuratovic, inviting me to come down to BWF headquarters to check out the bunnies. After picking up the necessary bunny supplies, I headed over. Once there, Lejla told me more about the horrors of illegal bunny trafficking. Apparently, Mexican gangs have become involved in the operation, making it even more dangerous for BWF to rescue the bunnies. Even though the LAPD arrests the bunny sellers (it's a misdemeanor), they can't hold them for more than a night and they end up back on the street selling bunnies the next day after receiving a small fine.

A video of KABC investigating illegal bunny trading:

After taking a tour of the BWF headquarters, starting with the babies that were most recently rescued and ending with the oldest bunnies who had been with her for years, I found a 2-month old gray bunny that I instantly fell in love with. However, Lejla was adamant that I find a female mate for the gray bunny, since bunnies thrive in pairs and mate for life. After trying out a couple potential "girlfriends" for the gray bunny, we found a beautiful pink-eyed white bunny (who was actually rescued in the same sting as the gray bunny) to be his mate. Of course, they are both getting fixed ASAP! After filling out some necessary paperwork and paying the adoption fees I was on my way.

I named the gray bunny Lucky (in honor of St. Patrick's Day, the day I adopted him) and the white bunny Luna (because she is white and beautiful as the moon). They settled into their new home just fine. They live in a cage most of the time, but we bought a pen for them so they can roam around a bit more in our hardwood living room. Lucky is already litterbox trained and Luna is almost completely trained now, so they are very low-maintenance. Right now, they eat mostly pellets and alfalfa hay (which we purchased in bulk from a feed supply store in Glendale...now my car smells like hay!) They are most active in the morning when I first wake up and the evenings right before bed. Luna lets me hold her and brush her, but Lucky, having just been neutered, is a bit more skeptical when it comes to humans holding him.

Anyways, here are pictures and please check out the Bunny World Foundation website and consider donating if you feel so inclined.

Lucky and Luna are so in love

A perfect match!

This was a picture Lejla gave me of Lucky as a baby

Lucky photographs so well

They love to be brushed

Luna is so people-friendly, but also very active, so it's hard to catch her long enough to hold her

Hanging out in their pen with them

They're so cute when they eat

The most wonderful time of the year!

2011-02-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

The view on the morning of the Oscars (from my cellphone)

It's been cold, cloudy, rainy and even snowy (in Burbank at least) this week in LA, but today the clouds have parted once again and the sun is shining as it should be, for today is Oscar Sunday! Every year I attempt to watch every film from every nominated category before the Oscars. This year, I made it through all the Best Picture noms (just finished watching "The Fighter," which I got a screener copy of from my roommate, a few minutes ago.) Anyways, most unfortunately, I have to work tonight (had to work during Oscar night last year too) so I'll be missing the Oscars. My roommate, on the other hand, gets to attend James Franco's post-Oscar party tonight (and attended his pre-Oscar party two days ago and another party sponsored by WME at the Chateau Marmont yesterday) and another friend is working a catering gig at Elton John's Oscar bash tonight as well. Jealous doesn't even begin to cover it. I did everything I could to try to switch shifts and get out of work tonight but to no avail. Anyways, I figured just because I can't watch them doesn't mean I can't make my Oscar predictions, so here goes. In bold are the films and people I think WILL win, in italics are those which I think SHOULD win, and in red are the films I actually put down on my personal Oscar ballot (if I were doing it for money and what I will refer to when the results come out).

Best Picture: "The King's Speech" / Black Swan / The Social Network
Best Actor: Colin Firth ("The Kings Speech") / James Franco ("127 Hours") / Colin Firth

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale ("The Figher") / Christian Bale / Christian Bale
Best Actress: Natalie Portman ("Black Swan") / Natalie Portman / Natalie Portman
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams ("The Fighter") / Melissa Leo ("The Fighter") / Melissa Leo
Best Director: David Fincher ("The Social Network") / Darren Aronofsky ("Black Swan") / David Fincher
Best Documentary Feature: "Inside Job" / "Exit Through The Gift Shop" / Inside Job
Best Documentary Short: "Poster Girl" / No preference / Poster Girl

Best Animated Feature: "Toy Story 3" / "Toy Story 3" / Toy Story 3
Best Foreign Language Film: "In a Better World" / "Biutiful" / In a Better World
Best Original Screenplay: David Seidler ("The King's Speech") / Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg ("The Kids Are All Right") / Mike Leigh ("Another Year")
Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin ("The Social Network") / Aaron Sorkin ("The Social Network") / Aaron Sorkin (Social Network)
Best Film Editing: "The Social Network" / ("Inception," which was not nominated) "Black Swan" / The Social Network
Best Cinematography: "True Grit" / "Black Swan" / "Black Swan"
Art Direction: "The King' Speech" / "Inception" / "Inception"
Best Animated Short: "Madagascar" / no preference / "Madagascar"
Best Live Action Short Film: "The Confession" / "God of Love" / "God Of Love"
Best Visual Effects: "Inception" / "Inception" / Inception
Best Sound Mixing: "Inception" / "Inception"/ Inception
Best Sound Editing: "Inception" / "Inception"/ Inception
Best Costume Design: "The King's Speech" / "Alice In Wonderland" / "Alice In Wonderland"
Best Makeup: "The Wolfman"/ "The Wolfman" / "The Wolfman"
Best Original Score: "The King's Speech" / "Inception" / "The Social Network"
Best Original Song: "We Belong Together" (Toy Story 3) / "We Belong Together" (Toy Story 3) / "We Belong Together"

"An Ode to LA" (or "Because I am so behind on my playlist posts...")

2011-02-25T15:25:00.000-08:00

This was the view out of my bedroom window this morning. Those are the gorgeous Sierra Nevada mountains in the background. Just wanted to share this with the world:

Now, onto more pressing matters...thanks to a subtle little reminder from my friend Jess, I realized that I am super duper behind on posting playlists. I figured that since I've been living in LA for a full year now I should commemorate it with a playlist. No offense to Katy Perry, but when I think California, I don't think "California Gurls." Let's face it, if you've lived in Cali for even just a few months, it becomes blatantly obvious that there's more to this state than "daisy dukes, bikinis on top." The following songs are what I perceive to be the essence of authentic California life:


Click image for full screen view

I decided, this being my one year California resident anniversary and all, I would offer an explanation for my song choices:
1. "Santa Monica" (Everclear) - "I am still living with your ghost. Lonely and dreaming of the West Coast" were the lyrics that defined my life during the period of several months following my move back to New York after my semester in Los Angeles. There was this guy I'd stupidly fallen for during that semester who'd pretty much taken my heart, played with it a bit, and then threw it in a blender and hit emulsify. Anyways, I was left scarred, lonely, and dreaming of sunny California, which is pretty much what this song is all about.
2. "Pork and Beans" (Weezer) - You can't make a playlist about Cali and not include at least one Weezer song. Although "Beverly Hills" or "Surf Wax America" may seem like more obvious choices for the list, "Pork and Beans" is my go to song for blasting in my car while I cruise through town on a Friday night.
3. "Knights of Cydonia" (Muse) - Let's start this out by setting the record straight: I liked Muse way before they were featured in the Twilight movies (none of which I have seen). This is the perfect song to pump in your stereo while driving through the Pacific Palisades after a Saturday afternoon hike. It was also a staple on every surfing playlist I had during my semester in LA.
4. "All of the Lights" (Kanye West) - This song is definitely my favorite off of Kanye's most recent album. "Cop lights, flash lights, spot lights, strobe lights, street lights," chants the chorus of this catchy hit. Definitely an accurate description of Hollywood at night.
5. "Carbon Monoxide"(Cake) - As everyone knows, LA is notorious for its smog problem. I put this song on as a riff on that, but also because I love listening to it while I'm stuck in traffic on the 101.
6. "All Summer" (Kid Cudi, Best Coast and Rostam) - I actually first heard this song while I was back home in Woodstock, NY watching t.v. (it was featured in a Converse ad on MTV). I was obsessed and downloaded it (it was FREE!) It features one of my favorite artists, Best Coast, whose vocals are the epitome of So-Cal beach life. In Los Angeles it is all summer all the time!
7. "Sweet Disposition" (The Temper Trap) - This song is so overplayed on the radio stations out here, but it never gets old. It is not only on the soundtrack to "(500) Days of Summer" but also on the constant soundtrack of my life here. When it comes on the radio while I'm driving, I feel like I'm in a movie and my anger at the traffic and LA assholes begins to fade away.
8. "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"(Arcade Fire) - Los Angeles is different from New York in that instead of a dense area of high rise buildings, it's a giant sprawl of smaller ones. But what many people who've never been to LA don't know is that it is extremely mountainous (as you can see from my picture). So I chose this song because it resonates with the general landscape and cityscape here...and it's awesome!
9. "Your Touch" (The Black Keys) - I really wanted to put something on here off the Black Keys' latest album, Brothers, but I couldn't pass up putting this song on. One sunny day I decided to walk over to Ralphs to pick up some groceries and this song came on my ipod right as I was crossing the street. And with those opening few chords, I felt my body move into slow-motion mode, my hair whip from one side to the other in the breeze, my long legs grow even longer and leaner and everyone looked out of their car windows and stared in awe as I walked pass. (These strange fantasies are what I like to refer to as "movie mode"--see "Sweet Disposition" for another example.)
10. "The Rat" (The Walkmen) - "You've got a nerve to be asking a favor!!" I don't know what it is, but there is just something about this song that sounds like California. And I just freakin' love it.
11. "About a Girl" (Nirvana) - In a city of a thousand strip clubs, it isn't hard to find "an easy friend" here. It's so easy to feel lonely here despite being surrounded by people. This song is me alone on a Tuesday night, dancing by my lonely self in the dark, illuminated only by the moon and the Hollywood lights.
12. "Weekend Wars" (MGMT) - I know they're not from Cali, but MGMT is another one of those bands that screams California sound. I listened to them a lot when I was out in LA for my last semester of college and I've always just associated them with the city. They were another staple on many of my surfing mixes. "Try to break my heart, I'll drive to Arizona. It might take a hundred years to grow an arm. I'll sit and listen to the sound of sand and cold."
13. "Crazy for You"(Best Coast) - As I said before, Best Coast embodies So-Cal with her voice and fuzzy, lo-fi guitars echoing a distinct surfer-vibe. Her music is just plain fun and if I had to pick an album that best defines LA living, it would be her album "Crazy for You." Every song on it is a day at the beach, surfing, sunning, and frolicking in the waves.
14. "Turn on Me" (The Shins) - If you've seen the music video for this song (click here to view it) it shows an uglier side of LA (it opens on an image of an older, wrinkly woman with dark leathery skin, fake tits and red acrylic nails, dowsing herself in tanning oil by the pool, trying desperately, yet failing, to look half her age). I love the video and the song. Like Best Coast, the guitars have a very beachy, surfer feel to them. With lyrics like, "You can fake it for a while, bite your tongue and smile, like every mother does an ugly child," it is one of my favorite songs of all time.
15. "Floating Vibes" (Surfer Blood) - Surfer Blood aren't from Cali, but they easily could be (their name says it all). This song, like the previous three, features those fuzzy surfer-vibe guitars I love so much. And the song tells it like it is: "If you're moving out to the west, then you'd better learn how to surf."
16. "Surf Rider/The Lively Ones" (Pulp Fiction Soundtrack) - Unfortunately, I don't know who the artist behind this song is, but it's featured on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. It is one of those must have beach songs for Surf-day Thursdays. It is a hot summer day with temperatures climbing towards 100, met by the sweet relief of the cool Pacific ocean.
17. "Where is My Mind" (The Pixies) - I know it's weird, but this song used to be on my workout mix. I loved jogging past palm trees, fountains and fancy cars to the steady beat of this song. For thirty minutes a day, I could just lose my mind and run... Plus, it's prominently featured at the end of "Fight Club," one of my all-time fav films.
18. "Desire Lines" (Deerhunter) - I. love. this. song. And it keeps with my LA-sound theme.
19. "The Ocean Breathes Salty" (Modest Mouse) - Modest Mouse is another one of those bands I just associate with California. This song is sad, but rings true, and I love listening to it on cloudy beach days.
20. "Nightswimming" (R.E.M.) - At night, I like to swim laps at the outdoor (heated) pool in my apartment complex. While doing my back stroke, I love looking up into the night sky, particularly on nights with a full moon and warm breeze as the palm trees sway around me. And this song always plays in my head while I swim.
21. "God Only Knows" (The Beach Boys) - Well duh, it's the Beach Boys. I could have put California Girls on, but this is my favorite Beach Boys song.
22. "Tiny Dancer" (Elton John) - Ever seen "Almost Famous?" This song is another obvious choice for this playlist. There's nothing like blasting this song as you "count the headlights on the highway."
23. "When I'm With You" (Best Coast) - One last Best Coast song for good measure! This was the song that first got me into the band. It's the song that plays in my head as I frolic on the beach with my friends on a warm summer's day. "The world is lazy. But you and me, we're just crazy."
24. "California" (Phantom Planet) - I've driven across the country to California 3 times and this is the song that plays at the start and end of every trip. Consequently, it was also the theme song to "The O.C." (best show ever, haha).

To everything, there is a season...

2011-01-23T21:49:00.000-08:00

"...and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die...A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance." Ecclesiastes 3 (selected verses)

Last Sunday, I was invited to attend the second birthday party for my co-worker Jesse's niece, Alice. I first met Alice on Thanksgiving Day, when her mother Maria invited us to her home for dinner after Jesse told her that I had no family in the area and no place to go. Alice was the cutest little thing. She looked just like Dora the Explorer and spent much of the evening with a tin pail on her head.

Anyway, I was a bit skeptical about going to the party at first since I wouldn't know anyone aside from Jesse, Maria, and Alice...and the party was in Compton, a section of L.A. widely known for its drug use and gang violence (thanks to a number of tv shows, rap songs, etc.) I was also afraid I'd be the only white person and non-native Spanish speaker. After Jesse reassured me that Compton was, in fact, quite safe and that I wouldn't be the only gringa there, I agreed to go.

Alice and I

The Facebook invitation to the event described it as a Tea Party scheduled from 3-5:30 pm for family and friends of Alice. I assumed there would be around 20 people there tops and it would be a rather low-key event. I also assumed that by the time I got there (I ended up following Jesse there after he got off work at 5) it would be breaking up and I could just sort of wish her a happy birthday, grab some cake, give her my gift, and be home by 7.

However, when we pulled in around 5:30, I was shocked to find the party was more than hopping. At least 100 people of all ages were crammed into the backyard of the small house. There were three large piñatas that the kids wacked at recklessly, a giant bouncy castle, heaps of delicious Mexican food, and piles and piles of gifts. I could barely hear myself talk over the sounds of children screaming in delight, music playing, and at least 40 conversations going on all around me in Spanglish. I was a bit terrified when Jesse left me to say hi to his cousins. At first, I sat awkwardly eating my food, peering up occasionally to see a few of the older women staring at me (I was DEFINITELY the only white person there). But when Jesse brought Alice over, I loosened up, and started to have fun. I watched as Alice open gift after gift, and wondered if she'd even remember her 2nd birthday years down the road. By the end of the night, I was hopped up on Mexican lollipops (watermelon/chile flavored) and jumping on the bouncy castle with Jesse, Alice, and a bunch of cousins and in-laws. I was definitely glad I went.

Enjoying the bouncy castle a little too much

*********************************************************************************************

I was in high spirits when I got home around 10pm, but after logging onto Facebook (as I so often do) I learned some grave news. A beautiful young co-worker of mine had passed away--after hanging herself with a belt from the pole in her closet. She was 18 and three months pregnant. I was shocked. Though I wasn't great friends with her, I'd had enough interactions with the girl to get a fair impression, and she was always happy and cheerful. She'd wanted to move to the Electronics Department and we were in the process of trying to talk our supervisor into letting her move. I often went through her line when I had to check out because of her sunny disposition. That night, instead of dreaming of piñatas, I kept waking up in cold sweats, having nightmarish visions of Carla hanging in her closet. I just couldn't figure out why someone so full of life would choose to end it all seemingly out of nowhere. Rumors have spread around the store like wildfire ever since, and it's hard to avoid hearing stories. From what I've gathered, it had something to do with a dispute she had with the baby's father. Some said there were obvious warning signs. A few days before her death she posted a photo of a skull and a Socrates quote about finding happiness in death on her Facebook page, the same quote she posted as her final status. No one had posted any responses to the quotes until after her death. It put a lot into perspective for us--you never really know the inner demons people you only know casually are dealing with. Who knows if that extra "How are you?" or "Are you doing ok today?" could have made a difference. Either way, I hope she found the peace she was desperately searching for...

RIP Carla Antonieta Reyes. You have no idea the profound effect you had on so many of us.

Updates on My Life and Photos From Nate's Visit

2011-01-14T22:56:00.000-08:00

So I have been living in LA for almost a year now and honestly not much has changed. I moved apartments (but only a couple streets over), got some PA gigs on student films, started an unofficial internship with a director I met at the Woodstock Film Festival, and spotted a few more celebs, but otherwise I'm pretty much in the same place I was when I first moved out here. Do I feel like a failure for being out here a year and still having to work in retail instead of having a "real" job? Yes and no.

The truth is, I'm happy. I love it here. I love the weather. I love my apartment. I love my friends. I love my co-workers (well, most of them). I love that I can run into Jake Gyllenhaal at the Hollywood Farmer's Market on Sundays, the cast of Glee at Target and Mario Lopez outside the movie theater at the Grove. I love that I can bike to work. I love that I that it only takes me 5 minutes to walk to the grocery store, the library, and Coffee Bean. I love that it never rains, and when it does it's refreshing and not annoying. I love being surrounded by museums, parks, mountains, beaches, great shops, and millions of other things to do. I love being in a city so rich with culture and diversity. But happiness is different from fulfillment.

Deep down, I wish more than anything I had a job that fully utilized my college degree and experience. While I enjoy doing production assistant work on student films for UCLA and AFI grad students, I wish I could get paid to do what I loved. It takes a lot out of me to have to wake up at 5 am for call time, work on set (unpaid of course) from 6am to 3pm, painting walls, lugging furniture up five flights of stairs, wallpapering rooms, etc. and then go straight to work from 4 to midnight (which is what I did for a week and a half around Christmastime while I was helping on an AFI thesis film and being bombarded with holiday retail madness all at once). I'm glad that I can get experience on these student films and the opportunity to go to places like the giant Universal Studios Prop House, but I wish my dream job could become my day job.

I'm still not entirely sure if I should continue to pursue a career as a production designer or if I should start looking for office work instead. After all, I wouldn't mind work for a production studio as an assistant, reading scripts, doing coverage, answering calls, and working my way up the ladder. I also love working for the Woodstock Film Festival, but they can only afford to hire me for three months of the year and if I worked there full time I'd have to move back to NY. I wish I could find a job here that helps fulfills my career ambitions as well as WFF did.

Granted, I've slacked off a bit the last few months. Sure, I've done a few student films, but I could do more. While I have applied to a few random assistant and receptionist gigs at Warner Brothers, NBC, and smaller production studios, I haven't gone all out on my job search. After all, writing cover letter after cover letter, catering each resume and cover letter to each specific job, and marketing myself as the best candidate for the position is hard work and leaves me feeling exhausted and discouraged, especially if it doesn't even land me a call back or interview.

I feel like I'm just missing one little piece to the puzzle, and after I get a "real" job everything will be perfect. But, of course, that's probably not true. After all, the grass is always greener...

***

In other news, my brother visited me with his girlfriend last week. That gave me the chance to be a tourist in LA for 9 days. We went to Malibu, a Lakers game, Universal Studios, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a pre-screening of "No Strings Attached," and a hike up to the Hollywood sign among other things (note: other things always includes In-N-Out). Here are some pictures, chronicling our time together:

Nate's girlfriend Shandell really wanted to go to Malibu, and I used the opportunity to sunbathe

Thanks to my parents who bought us tickets to Universal Studios. Here's the famous Bates Motel!

It was a grueling hike, but the reward was worth it. Group shot!

My favorite place ever also happened to be featured in the film "No Strings Attached."

Kobe dunks as Gasol and Odom look on at the Laker game. We had great seats and the Lakers won big.

Part of the taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live! we went to was directed by Michel Gondry (one of my fav directors) and was featured in the next day's episode with Gondry, Seth Rogen, and Elle Fanning. We made it on tv for that episode and got to see the kids from Modern Family and Sandra Oh in the episode that aired when we were there.

What I do on my days off...

2010-10-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

So Target has been cutting hours left and right since we haven't been making sales. I had 25 hours last week and 27.5 this week. Seeing as I make only $9.15/hour, I am left pretty destitute. I can't go out much or do things that don't cost tons of money, which leads my friends to think I am anti-social when I'm really just poor.

Anyways...here is a day in the life of a poor, starving Target employee on her day off.

- Wake up around 8:00 a.m. It's raining for the third day straight...I thought this was L.A. not New England!
- Go back to bed
- Wake up at 8:45 a.m.
- Check e-mail, Facebook, and various blogs.
- Watch some "Law & Order" and "Skins" on Netflix Watch Instantly (best investment ever)
- Eat breakfast (15 potato chips and a Hershey's kiss)
- Go to Target with Sarah (I think I am at Target every day of the week, whether I am working or shopping) to pick up a few things I neglected to get the last time I was there (ok, the 37 cent Jesus votive candle wasn't a necessity but it was only 37 cents!)
- Head up to the In-N-Out on Sunset to get a burger (protein style, due to my gluten intolerance) and animal fries.
- Drive back down LaBrea in the rain, notice my car windows are fogging up, and try to defrost them. Sarah yells for me to brake. I slam my foot down on the brake pedal, and, despite the loud noise, my car is still moving. It appears to be hydroplaning or something. I rear-end the pickup truck in front of me. We pull over. Luckily, the man is Hispanic and his pickup truck, like my car, is pretty janky (he appeared to be a painter as there were paint cans and spills all over the back of the truck). We inspect our cars and see little to know damage, so he lets me off the hook and we wish each other the best. I thank God that I crashed into this kind Hispanic painter in a jalopy and not some bitchy high powered executive driving a 2010 BMW (I knew buying that Jesus candle earlier was a good idea!)
-We get back home, eat our In-N-Out, and Sarah plays Grand Theft Auto while I browse Facebook some more and watch more junk on Netflix Watch Instantly.
- Since I haven't paid to go to the movies in quite some time (it is way too expensive here in L.A.- a movie ticket costs more than what I make in an hour and a half of work at Target) I decide to splurge and go see "The Social Network" across the street at The Grove.
- Outside of the Pacific Theater, there is a large crowd of people and I see several lights and cameras. I inspect the situation and discover that Mario Lopez is there taping some segment for E! News or whatever he does these days. He does have very cute dimples, but it was still drizzling and I didn't want to be late for the movie, so I went inside the theater instead of trying to get on t.v.
- There were only about twenty people in the entire theater (and of course someone found it necessary to sit next to me, despite the fact that there were 400 or so open seats.) I enjoyed the film (although I found some of the dialogue to have "Juno"-esque unrealistic qualities) and I'm sure it will garner plenty of nominations this Oscar season.
- Since Sarah had a 40% off coupon, I poked around Banana Republic, but decided that even 40% off a $98 merino tank top was too much for my budget, so I peaced out.
- And now, I am back in my apartment, around 6 pm, back on the Internet, checking Facebook, reading my favorite blogs, checking out what happened in the world today, etc.
- Tonight, Jill's mom will be arriving from Minnesota, so I am expecting some delicious casseroles these next few days...
- I'll probably just end up spending the rest of my night attached to my computer. Perhaps I may read some of my book ("Never Let Me Go") or maybe I'll fall asleep early. If it weren't raining, I'd go for a swim. Actually, maybe I'll go for a swim anyways. After all, it's just drizzling and writing this blog has only reminded me of what a lazy bum I am.

Where have I been the past month or so?

2010-10-08T16:34:00.000-07:00

This was my habitat for the past month

So you may (or more likely, may not) have been wondering where I've been for the past month. I was top-secrety about it and debating as to whether or not to post my whereabouts since I was afraid word might leak to my co-workers (or, in Target lingo,"team members") and bosses (or, in Target lingo, "team leaders") in Target-land and they might get upset. You see, I took a leave of absence (or LOA for short) from Target from August 31 to October 6 for undisclosed "personal reasons." While I did have some of my own "personal reasons" for taking my LOA, the main reason I left for a month was so I could return, once again, to Woodstock to work as Box Office Manager of the Woodstock Film Festival. I've been working for WFF for about 4 years now and I had promised them I'd return for the 2010 fest despite the fact that I was moving to L.A. and an Emily always keeps her promises. I had a blast at the festival and got to meet so many amazing people. Anyways, instead of recapping all of my Woodstock adventures, here is the link to the WFF blog, which I contributed to in my once-famous (my 15 minutes are up now that I'm back in LA) Emily's Box Office Blog. Enjoy!

With the WFF Award winning directors of the wonderful film "Stranger Things"

A staged meeting between myself and "Norman" director Jonathan Segal (sponsored by Lärabar!)

View more at:
http://woodstockfilmfest.blogspot.com

R.I.P. Carl

2010-08-29T01:56:00.000-07:00

This morning (ok, by now...at 12:37 am on Sunday it's really yesterday morning, but since I haven't slept yet it still counts as today...right?) my beloved turtle, Carl Shi Shi Ren Michelangelo Suttmeier (or just Carl, for short), passed away.

I'd purchased Carl and his brother Edgar for five dollars in Chinatown back in March, and he was my first official pet in L.A. For the first few months of his short life, Carl lived in a small tank with little water and poor nourishment. The truth was, since we had acquired him through rather shady means, we had no idea how to properly care for him and Edgar. We fed them the weird pellets the Chinese woman gave me, they got very little sunlight, their tank was maybe only 1/2 inch full of water, we never cleaned it, and the only time we let them out was to swim in our bath tub maybe once every two weeks or so. They seemed alright despite their destitute living situation, but they weren't growing and the only time they really became animated is when we put them in the bathtub. Every now and then we'd let them crawl around on our arms, tickling our skin, and keeping us on our toes, but the truth was, we were horrible parents.

It wasn't until we moved to our new apartment that we gave the turtles the proper home they deserved. After a trip to Petco, we realized just how terrible we were at caring for our little turtle babies. The saleslady looked aghast when she found out they had survived for three months in only half an inch of water with no light source. She said lots of people came in trying to figure out how to care for the turtles they'd gotten in some side alley in Chinatown, so we were certainly not the first. We left Petco that day with a U.V. light, a floating dock, water purifying drops, a decorative Greek ruins structure, a filter, and proper turtle food (for adolescent turtles...pellets about 1/18th the size of the ones the woman gave us in Chinatown and little shrimpies for treats). When we got home ($120 dollars later), we filled their tank with seven inches clean, warm, purified water; installed the filter and U.V. lamp, decorated the bottom with little stones and the Greek ruins; attached the floating dock; and introduced our turtles to their new home.

Boy, were they ever thrilled. They swam around like crazy, diving to the bottom to hang out with the tiny rubber triceratops we'd put there. They gobbled up their new food, relaxed on the floating dock beneath the warm U.V. rays, and I knew they were 1,000,000 times happier than they'd been at their old home. This is how turtles were supposed to live. I enjoyed just sitting on the couch watching them swim around. Edgar and Carl played so well together; I often caught them leap frogging on the floating dock or nuzzling noses under water.

But all good things must come to an end. About a week or so ago we noticed Carl wasn't as active as he'd once been. He spent most of his time on the floating dock and rarely touched his food, not even his shrimpies! Edgar kept him company, trying to engage him by sitting on top of him, but Carl was no longer into playing leap frog. When Carl did go in the water, he would sneeze. At first, we thought he sneezes were adorable, little bubbles popping up with a tiny little gurgling noise, but it gradually became worse, to the point that Carl wouldn't even go in the water. Sarah went back to Petco and asked for advice. It appeared Carl had respiratory disease. They told us to make sure he stayed warm because the water was probably too cold for him. We did all we could. We closed the windows at night, turned off the A.C., and left the U.V. light on 24/7. We even bought a snail to help keep the tank clean and algae free. Last night, I was surprised to see Carl back in the water swimming around. I figured he was getting better. Little did I know, this was in fact, Carl's last hurrah.

I woke up to the horrible news that Carl had passed away. At first, I couldn't believe it. I figured he was just resting. After all, Carl would go for hours without moving from his comfy cozy place on the floating dock beneath the U.V. lamp. But he wasn't on the dock. He was wedged to the side of one of the large rocks in the tank...under water...legs all sprawled out. It was horrifying. I didn't want to believe it was Carl. Maybe it was Edgar. But we called Jill in to I.D. the body (I refused to touch it) and she said that the markings on his stomach indicated that it was, indeed, my poor, beloved Carl.

I cried. But I had to go to work, so I powered through. When I got home, Carl was still wedged in the rock. Algae was starting to grow around him. I lost it. It was just the saddest thing. I feel like I took him for granted. I always just figured he'd be around for me to watch, swimming away, playing with Edgar, exploring the ruins. But no longer. He was only 5 months old! Too young for a poor little turtle to die. I'd purchased a new camera two days before his death, and Sarah captured some beautiful last images of him that I've included throughout this post along with some pictures of Carl in his earlier months.

R.I.P. Carl, I will truly miss you. You were a wonderful turtle with so much spunk. I just wish I had shelled out the 50 bucks and brought you to the vet. Or purchased a water heater (which the salesclerk had told me was not necessary). I wish I could go back and save you. But it's too late.

Carl is survived by his brother and best friend, Edgar; his mother, Emily; his aunt, Jill; his nanny/godmother, Sarah; and his pet snail, Marcel (whom he only knew for a few short days). Currently, Carl's remains are in our freezer and we have yet to decide what to do with the body. Please pray for the family in their time of grief. Thank you.

Playlist for SUMMER

2010-08-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

OK. So I failed at creating a playlist for July so I decided just to combine July and August into one summer playlist. Click image for full size.

In other news:
1.) I'm on a gluten-free diet and it sucks. I'd been having really bad stomach pains, digestive issues, headaches, and fatigue so I went to the doctor (trying to find a good doctor that accepted my insurance in LA without having any recommendations from family or friends was a long process, but thanks to Yelp.com I found a great one- Dr. Karen Sandler). She suggested I try going off wheat for a month to see if that was the route of the problem, and it seems she was right. Since going off gluten I've had fewer stomach issues, more energy, and no headaches, which is awesome accept that I miss gluten so much and eating gluten-free costs a lot more money. Still trying to find a recipe for a good gluten-free pizza (if you have any suggestions let me know). On the plus side, I discovered Glutino brand Oreo cookies which are better than Oreos in my opinion.

2.) I'm coming back east for a month. Target granted me a leave-of-absence for the month of September, which is awesome considering they've denied all of my other vacation requests. I'll be living in Woodstock and working for the film fest as box office manager while I'm home, so call me up if you're in NY because I'd love to hang out.

3.) You should watch the film "Catfish." It screened at Sundance this year to much acclaim and my roommate got a copy of it from the casting office she works at and let us watch it last night. Wow. It's an extremely well-crafted film. Whether or not it abides by the true definition of "documentary" is up for discussion, but you'd have to watch the film to know what I mean. It's an intriguing, yet ultimately devastating exploration of an online relationship (mostly via Myspace and Facebook) between the young NYC filmmakers and a "family" from Michigan and the consequences that come from it. I cried myself to sleep after watching it. No film has affected me like this in awhile...

4.) But if you're looking for a more up-beat film, go watch "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World." It pretty much rocked my socks off. Just an all around fun film to watch and the visuals and music are fantastic.

I freakin' love Jane Lynch!

2010-07-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

So Jane Lynch was in Target again yesterday. I saw her as I was walking past the Electronics Department. She looked a little lost. Most people in Target these days look lost since we've remodeled much of the store and shifted departments around. I went up to her, as I do to all lost looking people, and asked, "Can I help you find something?" She smiled at me and said, "Thanks, yes. Where would I find a funnel?" "Oh," I responded, "That would be in the Housewares Department over on the other side of the store around aisle B30 or so." "Thanks," she replied and smiled at me. I started walking away and she called out again, "One more thing." "Yes?" I asked. "Brita filters or Pur filters. Where would those be?" "Also in Housewares. Aisle B24." She thanked me again and as she started walking away, two giddy looking teenage girls walked up to her and said they were huge fans. I regretted not telling her I was a fan too, but I didn't want to be all gushing over her. I wanted her to have a nice normal shopping experience.
But when I spotted her over in the Domestics Department later on, she was signing autographs for a brother and sister. She was so gracious. I was in awe. She didn't get mad when people stopped her to tell her they were fans. She simply smiled and thanked them and continued shopping. The last time she was in the store, she was with a large posse of people (assistants maybe? or just friends?) but this time she was alone. People unfamiliar with "Glee!" didn't even give her a second glance. She was so chill and down to earth, wearing a button down loose-fitting blouse, khakis, and glasses. Her everyday appearance outside the show stands in stark juxtaposition with her character on "Glee!" Anyways, I digress. Back in the Housewares Department I was assisting other people and noticed her looking around the aisles. I finished with the person I was helping and made my way over to her, pretending to organize potholders and dish towels. We were alone. Now was my chance. "Hey, I just wanted to say I'm a really huge fan too. You're like awesome," I said to her. I could feel my cheeks burning up. So embarrassing! But I was so nervous. "Thanks. I appreciate it," she said. I wasn't really sure what to do so I awkwardly walked away. But I was in heaven! A couple minutes later I saw her again. "So how about showing me where exactly those funnels would be," she said kindly. "Sure thing. Follow me. There should be some right over here. They're pretty basic cheapy ones though." "Oh, that will be fine," she said, as I pointed to a set of Chefmate funnels for $1.34. She thanked me again and headed for the check out line.

And I thought the highlight of my day was going to be watching "The Kids Are Alright" at the Arclight (don't get me wrong, it was a great film, but spending a few minutes helping Jane Lynch find funnels and water filters totally tops anything.)

Production Design/ Art Department Portfolio

2010-07-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of shoots (for the most part, student films) I've worked as production designer or as part of the art department on:

1.) Film: "I Love You Like Crazy"

Position: Art Department PA

Setting(s): Art Therapy Room of a Modern Day Mental Hospital

2.) Film: "Yun"

Position: Production Designer/Costume Designer

Setting(s): A Stodgy Dwarf's Metalworking Studio, Yun's Cozy Cottage

3.) Film: "Getting Dressed"

Position: Art Director, Props, Costumes

Setting(s): Bedroom of Jack (a vestiphobic teenager), Entryway to Jack's Home

4.) Film: "Drained"

Position: Art Director

Setting(s): A Conservative Christian's Kitchen, The Rebellious Daughter's Bedroom

As promised...

2010-07-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

...here are photos of the new apartment:

The view from our bedroom (see the faint view of the Hollywood sign in the distance)

The view of downtown LA from our other bedroom window

Our futon bunkbed. If you look closely, you can see that we put it together wrong.

Our walk-in closet

View from our living room window.

Our turtles, Edgar and Carl, in their new home!

Thank you Tatyana, Ashley, and Elena for the generous donation of your chair, tv, and tv stand!

Full view of the living room.

La cocina

The bar and the hella cheap bar stools (16 bucks for both at Target)

The wall of color (decorations courtesy of Sarah) left from the Candyland Party

El baño

The Hello Kitty window

WOW, I am so behind on playlists!

2010-06-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry! I've been meaning to put playlists up, but just haven't gotten around to it, so I figure I might as well do it while my laundry is in the wash. Just moved to a new apartment. This one is on the 12th floor and features gorgeous views of downtown LA and Hollywood. Pictures will come shortly! Anyways, in honor of our new apartment, we had a housewarming party with a "Candyland" theme. We had our guests dress as Candyland characters or in bright colors and we decorated our apartment with colored squares and a giant Candyland board. Sarah made jello shots in a variety of colors and after a bit of drinking, we were dancing the night away. Highlights included Jeff Giblin doing the Jai Ho dance, Justin and Rick showing up in matching Candyland card costumes and several of our friends taking their very first jello shots! (Seeing as many of them went to Christian colleges where alcohol is forbidden and college house parties don't exist.) Anyways, I decided to combine May and June's playlist into one, which was the playlist we featured at the Candyland party. Hopefully, I will be more diligent with this one playlist per month thing come July.

April's Belated Playlist and Promoting my YouTube Channel

2010-05-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

I am never good at getting these up on time, but trust me, this was created at the beginning of April. The songs are the partially in honor of 4/20 and partially just songs I love listening to while getting ready for work in the morning. Click to view full size. Enjoy!

Also, want to take this moment to plug my youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/PennilessExistence

My roommate Jill and I have posted 2 new interpretive dance videos featuring music from Glee. Check them out!

Famous People I've Seen/Met (Mostly while working at the West Hollywood Target)

2010-04-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

People keep asking, "Have you seen anyone famous?" The answer, "Yes." Here is the following list of "famous people" I have seen while working at Target/going to LA events. This list gets updated frequently. SIDE NOTE: While I am certain of the identity of some of these celebrities, other people may have been doppelgangers. Too distinguish between the ones I am absolutely sure about and ones I am not so sure, I am going to put the not-so-sure one in grey font and the others will remain in black. :

1.) Chris Pratt- Andy from "Parks and Recreation" - Where? Target. I checked him out and checked him out. He made me like him even more when he helped me bag his items.

2.) Jessalyn Gilsig- Terri Schuester from "Glee" - Where? Target. She was also in my checkout line and much nicer than her "Glee" character.

3.) Michael Emerson- Ben Linus from "LOST"- Where? Target. He was in the checklane next to mine. His eyes are just as creepy in person.

4.) Simon Helberg- Howard Wolowitz from "The Big Bang Theory"- Where? Target. He was in the checklane next to mine. He wears his hair slicked back when he isn't in character, but he still wears tight pants.

5.) Jesse Tyler Ferguson- Mitchell on "Modern Family"- Where? Target. He was in the check lane in front of mine. He rocks the red beard both in and out of character.

6.) Mark Ruffalo- Actor ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "13 Going on 30," "Zodiac," "Where the Wild Things Are," and more) - Where? A screening of his directorial debut, "Sympathy for Delicious." I got to chat with him a bit afterward and he is such a nice, down to earth guy. We talked about the difficulty of getting independent films distribution.

7.) Dianna Agron, Jane Lynch, Cory Monteith, Jenna Ushkowitz, Naya Rivera, Mark Salling, Heather Morris, Dijon Talton, Harry Shum Jr, Josh Sussman- Quinn, Sue Sylvester, Finn, Tina, Santana, Puck, Brittany, Matt, Mike, and Jacob from "Glee"- Where? At a pre-screening of the Season 2 "Glee" premier at The Grove.

A horrible picture of my roommates and I with Mark Ruffalo and Chris Thornton, stars of "Sympathy for Delicious." At least I look ok.

8.) Chris Ivery- husband to actress Ellen Pompeo (who plays Meredith Grey on "Grey's Anatomy")- Where? Target. The woman I was checking out before him turned around and asked if she knew him because he looked familiar. He just smiled and said "I'm married to Meredith Grey of Grey's Anatomy" and the woman (a very conservative Jewish woman) started freaking out and told him how big of a fan she was of the show. Then they chatted about their kids (both had babies with them). Chris was very nice to me and even made a point to say, "Thanks so much, Emily! Have a great day!"

9.) Milla Jovovich- star of such films as "The Fifth Element" and "Resident Evil"- Where? Target, of course. I heard a girl screaming and crying ridiculously loudly and of course she ended up being in my line. I was rather pissed because I had a headache. Then, it turned out that the woman with the girl was just her nanny. The screaming girl belonged to none other than Milla Jovovich, who was in another section of the store and came running to her daughter's aid when the shrieks reached glass-breaking levels. Immediately the girl calmed down and all was well in the world. I am 100% positive it was Milla Jovivich because I had to ID her for the cold meds she was buying. (At Target, we always ID for cold meds b/c you never know if someone owns a meth lab or something). Either way, she was super nice and she also likes pepperoni pizza because she had the nanny go order her and her daughter some.

10.) Jake Gyllenhaal- star of my all time favorite film "Donnie Darko" and the upcoming "Prince of Persia"- Where? The Hollywood Farmers' Market, where Jill and I go every Sunday before church. Jill first pointed out some actress from the show "Cougar Town," which I don't watch, but when I looked over to see where she was pointed I realized the person this woman was talking to was none other than Jake Gyllenhaal, my junior high celebrity crush. I would have stared longer but there were too many people in my way. UPDATED: According to my roommate Jill, I literally bumped into Jake last Sunday at the Farmer's Market and didn't even notice!

11.) Ellie Kemper- Erin on "The Office." Where? At Target, of course! She was checking out at the register behind mine. She seemed really sweet and was chatting with the cashier who was ringing her up. I don't think anyone recognized her as she wasn't wearing much make up and has sort of an average looking face.

12.) Mark Wahlberg!- Uhhh he's Mark Wahlberg, what else can I say. (He talks to animals! And always makes sure I say hi to my mother for him.) Where? The cosmetics area of Target. I asked him if I could help him find something and he said "Thanks, but I think I found it." Surprisingly, he was looking sort of fat-ish. Well, fat for a guy who used to do underwear commercials and have washboard abs. He was with some other guy, who was probs his assistant.

13.) Mark Salling- Puck from "Glee"- I have now seen him 3 times- Where? In Target twice (the other time was at the Glee premiere at the Grove which I already included). Once he was in my checklane and I totally got to check him out! MMMM mmmm good! I didn't recognize him at first because he didn't have his trademark mohawk. The second time, the mohawk was back and I saw him around the Health and Beauty area of Target. He isn't super friendly in person. He barely said a word to me while I was ringing up his groceries. He mostly tries to get in and out of the store without having to interact with anyone if possible, but still he is hella hot.

14.) Tania Raymonde- Alex Rousseau from "Lost" -Where? In the Housewares Department of Target. She was with her mom (who I think is French since she didn't speak great English). They asked me if I could help them find where the vases and fake flowers were and I pointed them in the right direction. She is gorgeous.

15.) Jane Lynch- Sue Sylvester from "Glee"- Where? The Domestics area of Target. Jane Lynch has definitely been my favorite celeb interaction so far. She was super friendly. I asked her if I could help her find anything and she asked where the curtain rods and bedding were. I told her where the curtain rods were and pointed to the giant sign that said "Bedding" and told her that's where the bedding was. She left and joked about how stupid she was not to see it and thanked me for my help. Later, I saw her again and she smiled and thanked me again for my help. I also overheard her on the phone and she is one of those people who likes to pronounce Target "Tarzhay." She was also wearing clothes very similar to her "Glee" character (wind pants and a sweatshirt) which surprised me.

16.) Summer Glau- Sci-Fi/Action Hottie (credits include: "Dollhouse," "The 4400," "Firefly," "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." Where? On her way to check out at Target. I knew she was about ready to head out, but I figured it would be my only chance to talk to her ever so I asked if she found everything ok, and she responded, "Yes, we're on our way to checkout." It was awesome. She was with some guy I didn't recognize, perhaps an assistant.

17. Chris Colfer- Kurt from "Glee!" Where? The Electronics Department of Target. I gushed about how awesome I thought he was and how he was my favorite cast member of the show (for reals). He was super sweet and incredibly gracious. He ended up leaving his receipt and I kept it as a momento. What did he buy? The Blu-ray disc "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy, a shower curtain, a poster, a blanket, a photo album, scotch tape..., and a scrapbooking tool. Grand total: $159.50

18. Ryan Reynolds- actor ("Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place," "Van Wilder," "Just Friends," "Green Lantern") and wife of Scarlett Johansson. Where? I was biking home from work around 11:20 p.m. along the sidewalk of La Brea Ave. when I approached an abnormally large group of people outside of one of the restaurants. I grew annoyed when I noticed they weren't going to move for me and I was going to have to get off my bike and walk it around them. But as I drew closer they began to move...well all except for one jerk holding a motorcycle helmet and heading to his bike. I almost ran smack dab into him when I realized who it was. I would recognize those eyes anywhere! He looked at my funny at first, but then smiled and apologized. I was still on my bike and a bit in shock, so I just rode on by.

March's Playlist/How I Survived My First Earthquake

2010-04-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

So first off, I apologize again for not updating this super often. I know it is now April, but I never got around to posting my playlist for March, so here it is. In honor of Women's History Month, March's playlist is mostly girl-centric, featuring Lykke Li, Santigold, and Cat Power among others. It's quickly become one of my favorite iTunes playlists of all time. Hope you enjoy as much as I do. Click photo to enlarge.

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And now on to more serious matters...EARTHQUAKES!!!!!

Today, as you may or may not have heard, Baja California, Mexico experienced a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. About four hours ago I was watching the BBC miniseries "North & South" with my roommates Jill and Callie (actually, it was paused for the moment while Jill got a snack and Callie went to the bathroom) when I started to feel dizzy. At least I thought I felt dizzy because I felt like I was swaying in circles. The floor felt like it was a ship rolling on giant ocean waves. "Wow, I think I took too many cold meds!" I called out to Jill (I was having bad allergies and had taken some Claritin not that long ago). But I started to wonder if maybe it wasn't all in my head. After all, the blinds in our apartment were shifting back and forth, and the windows were definitely not open (it was too cold) and besides there was no wind. "Jill, is it just me or is our apartment moving?" I asked. Jill paused a moment before answering that she felt it too. "I wonder if it's an earthquake!" I exclaimed. My heart started pounding fast. I thought I heard rumbling and wondered if it was thundering (it was cloudy and looked like it could rain). I walked into my bedroom and I felt very unstable as I walked. Jill looked at me from the hallway and said I was moving up and down. Callie came out of the bathroom to see what was going on. The blinds started moving back and forth faster now and I really felt like the whole apartment was shifting back and forth. I shouted to Callie to google "what to do in an earthquake" which brought her to FEMA's website. "OK, you are supposed to seek protection under a table or sturdy furniture and stay indoors!" Unfortunately, the poor recent college grads we are, we have no furniture in our apartment. Our table is my surfboard propped up on a keyboard stand we found in a dumpster. "Or it says to make a shelter out of mattresses." We all have blow up air mattresses, not much protection, but we decided to give it a go. At this point I didn't feel any more tremors, but Callie had said that sometimes in earthquakes, there are a few minor tremors before the actual more violent quake hits. We didn't have much time! Jill grabbed her air mattress and we sat in the corner of our apartment, continuing to watch "North & South." I immediately updated my Facebook status from the cover of Jill's air mattress and I checked CNN to see if any reports of an earthquake had been noted. Nothing. I checked LA Times and it said a 6.9 magnitude quake had been reported in Baja California. "So I'm not crazy!" I thought to myself (for I still wasn't convinced this wasn't all some delusion brought on by the cold meds.) After awhile, more info was posted and the quake was upgraded to a 7.2. I'm just glad I was awake for this one (the past two quakes we've gotten I slept through). So yeah, that's what it was like to survive my first quake. If you are wondering, we finally left our makeshift quake shelter after about 20 minutes of huddling together cramped and uncomfortable.

February's (Belated) Playlist

2010-03-05T17:41:00.000-08:00

(Click image for full size view)

Seeing as I was busy driving cross country and moving into my new digs in LA, I had no time to post my February Playlist, but here it is. I used my road trip as inspiration, so the majority of the songs are about states we traveled through or about traveling in general, beginning with "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z (ft. Alicia Keys) and ending with "California Girls" by The Beach Boys. I included a brief description of why each song is included below:
1. Empire State of Mind- My starting point of NY.
2. NYC-Gone, Gone- Great song about leaving NYC.
3. Leaving So Soon?- My favorite song by Brit rock group Keane and a song about leaving a relationship before it has time to bloom.
4. Boston- I headed up to Boston to pick up my friend and traveling companion Carolyn before we set off.
5. Florida- No, we didn't go to Florida, but this Patty Griffin song is terrific and its about a group of girls who go on a road trip.
6. To Ohio- We DID, however, drive through Ohio (though it was in the dark).
7. On a Highway- I just love Animal Collective's new EP, and we were on lots of highways on the trip!
8. Chicago- I'd never been before, but I was blown away by the Windy City.
9. Wheels- This is one of my fav road trip songs. Cake is awesome.
10. Brackett, WI- We drove through Wisconsin, although I'm not sure we went past Brackett.
11. Always Coming Back Home To You- Great song by Minneapolis rap group Atmosphere.
12. Highway 51 Blues- I love Dylan.
13. 18th Avenue (Kansas City Nightmare)- Driving through KC was a nightmare.
14. Buildings and Mountains- Love, love, love this song and we saw plenty of both on the trip.
15. Night Drive- We spent a good chunk of the trip driving in the dark.
16. Santa Fe- Stayed the night with my friend Michele in New Mexico, just not Santa Fe, but still, RENT is amazing.
17. Right Round- Theme song to the movie "The Hangover," which takes place in Vegas. Our time there was not as crazy as the guys' in that film.
18. Waking Up In Vegas- Waking up the morning after a night in Vegas=not pretty.
19. St. Augustine- "...Hollywood was calling out your name."
20. 405- One of the freeways in LA (the one we took to go surfing at Huntington)
21. The Season- I love this song so much and it fit the mood.
22. California- Theme song to the O.C. and also to the trip. "Californiaaaa, here we COOOOMMMEE!"
23. Santa Monica- My favorite beach in LA and where I'd love to live someday.
24. Party in the U.S.A.- Guilty pleasure song of the trip, which really was one big party in the U.S.A.
25. California Girls- I am now one of them.

So obviously I am in LA now. I just haven't been good about updating my blog.

2010-03-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

Hello worried citizens of the world (aka my mom),
I am alive and well living in Los Angeles in my cute little apartment with my roommate Jill and our turtles Carl and Edgar. I am currently working as a cashier at Target of West Hollywood while Jill is our primary breadwinner, working for Warner Brothers and making more than double an hour than I. But I am happy at least to have work. I am currently applying and interviewing with a bunch of temp agencies and hoping to find a temp job in the entertainment industry that will eventually lead to a real job. And I'm a busy little beaver with all the bills I have to pay and change of address forms and vehicle registrations and such. Long gone are those wonderful road-tripping days. Anyways, I have some phone calls to return, errands to run, and books waiting to be read, so I must go, but here are some LA pictures.
Love,
Emily

These pictures are of: my apartment (449 S. Curson Ave), our turtles, the lights of LACMA's statue garden, Santa Monica Beach, "The Spot" from (500) Days of Summer located in downtown LA

So a few days have passed and I'm in Vegas now...

2010-02-19T09:14:00.000-08:00

Obviously, I haven't had a chance to travel blog in awhile. That's due to a combination of tiredness and lack of internet. But here I am at the Monte Carlo, in Vegas at 9 am updating once again (though I am quite wiped from last night!) Anyways, a brief summary of some of the often hilarious things that have happened during the last couple days of driving:
-my car gets backed into in Goshen, IN. We never find out who did it but a police report was filed.
-our car gets towed in Bethel, MN and we get an $80 ticket.
-The Mall of America is AMAZING!!!! Sadly, we don't have much money to buy things, but I do get Nate some Vikings gear as a belated bday present. We explore Minneapolis and I find I actually really love the area despite the snow and cold and wind.
-We try to figure out whether or not we can make it to Texas to see my friend Meg, and around 9pm, we decide to stop off in Kansas to stay with Carolyn's friend instead. On the drive down from Minneapolis we pass literally 50 cars (maybe more) crashed into snowbanks on the side of the road (mostly in Iowa). It is like a graveyard and we are glad to finally get out of the snow.
-We spend the night in Hillsboro, KS, which literally looks like a ghost town. Driving in KS nearly drives me mad. I think in part due to the flatness and also the fact that the moon was literally touching the ground and was in a giant purple-ish U shape. Super freaky! Anyways, as part of my delusional Kansas driving, I get on a toll road going the wrong way and when I pull a U-turn after passing the toll plaza, I forget to take a new ticket, try to back up unsuccessfully, and make Carolyn run back to the toll lady and get our ticket. Later that night I slam on my brakes convinced a motorcycle is heading straight at us (it was just some car in the distance). Seriously, I am not a bad driver but Kansas made me crazy!
-Made the long drive to Rio Rancho, NM, where we get lost a couple of times. Finally make it to my friend Michele's house, but find out that her boyfriend's dad, who she lives with, had no idea who we were or why we were there and she didn't really introduce us, she just showed us our room and went off with her bf and then the bf's dad started interrogating us and telling us he had not given the ok for this and on and on, but in the end, he was a nice-ish guy, giving us driving tips for the next day.
-We decide it is not worth it to try to get to the Grand Canyon, so decide to head straight to Vegas. The drive is absolutely beautiful. We pass by the Hoover Dam around dinner time, right before the sun is setting and get some nice pics there. We arrive in Vegas at 6:30, and check in to the Monte Carlo. We shower off, get dressed, and hit the town. Vegas is amazing!!!! I lost a total of $4 playing slots although I could have made a $7 profit if I hadn't been so greedy in Paris. We mostly just walk the strip and try to see every major casino in the area. I'd love to come back here and spend more time!
-We'll be setting off for LA in a little bit, and I am super excited. I'll be able to move right into my apartment although my roommate Jill will not be there as she is in New York for a job interview (ironic, right?) The weather here is amazing and I'm sure it will be even nicer in LA! OK. Time to get ready!

Here are a few pictures:

The Bean in Chicago

Driving into Minneapolis

Cars wrecked along the road in Iowa

Hillsboro, KS. Pretty much a ghost town.

New Mexico, headed into Arizona

The Hoover Dam

PARIS...in Vegas!

Mini-soda

2010-02-15T07:45:00.000-08:00

After spending a fabulous day in Chicago, seeing The Bean, meeting up with my old roommate Renee, walking around the streets, and spending an hour looking for a parking spot in Chinatown, we returned to Goshen, IN for one more night. Upon our return, I noticed a sizable dent in the front driver's side door of my car (which we'd left parked outside my friend's house in Goshen since we arrived there early Friday morning). There was no note or anything, but we did notice black paint and Sarah thought it was probably one of the people from across the street, since that was the big party house on campus. Not sure of what to do, I called my dad and he said to call the police and file a report. The Goshen policeman was confused as to why I had New York plates and a Cali license and I tried explaining to him how I was in Cali, moved back home, and was returning again. He took down my info, filed a report, and said that was all they could do and I should contact my insurance company although it might not be a good idea to file a claim with them (since it would raise rates and since my car is old, fixing that dent wouldn't be worth it). It put a bit of a damper on my mood, but I'd also received some good news. Jill and I had officially secured an apartment in LA! Unfortunately, that also meant that I either had to be moved in by Wednesday or I had to get the leasing agreement faxed, get it signed/notarized, and have it to LA by Wednesday in addition to getting a cashier's check to pay my deposit/first month's rent. So now I have a whole lot of stuff to do to get that all straightened out on time. But back to road trip news! On Sunday, we headed off for Bethel, MN, stopping in Chicago once more to see Navy Pier. We got many strange looks as we stopped in Wisconsin for coffee and gas. They must not see many people with surfboards on their car in the winter. People had warned us that going to MN was not only impractical but also potentially dangerous and of course, the second we entered the state, a blizzard of sorts was upon us. I was freaking out the whole time, but Carolyn, who was driving, did not seem worried at all. In fact, she was on her cell phone trying to make arrangements with her Minnesotan friends, which got me freaking out even more. We were invited to dinner by the parents of one of Carolyn's friends, and were treated to some real Minnesotan hospitality (and amazing accents). After dinner, we headed to Bethel University, where Carolyn's friends go. They were all sooooooo (said in a Minnesotan accent) nice and they made me want to stay here forever despite the cold and snow. Today, we are off to the Twin Cities to explore the sites. Hopefully, we will get to see the Metrodome (where the Vikings play), go to the Mall of America, and see some spoon and cherry thing that is apparently a big Minnesotan landmark. I'll also be meeting up with one of my LA friends. I am sooooooo exited, but scared of the cold and wind. But should be fun! tata for now!

Goshen, Indiana

2010-02-12T13:35:00.000-08:00

So after a three hour drive to Boston, followed by a 14 hour drive to Indiana, I made it safely to my friend Sarah's house in Goshen. Since we drove through the night, there wasn't much to see (not that Western PA, Ohio, and Indiana are all that interesting.) We got caught in a bit of a blizzard in Ohio, but it didn't affect our driving at all. We got in to Goshen around 10am and were ready to sleep. After 2 hours, we were well rested enough to start our days. Carolyn's friend picked her up from Sarah's house and took her to South Bend, where he attends Notre Dame. When I checked my email today, I found a letter from Bank of America telling me that due to the unusual activity on my debit card, they'd put my account on hold. I realized that I had forgotten to notify the bank of my trip, so after being put on hold for a good half hour or so, I finally was able to let them know of my travels. After I told the Bank of America lady that I wouldn't be cutting down south from Indiana, but rather going up to visit friends in Minnesota, she called my travel route "impractical"several times, which made me hate her more. But now that my card situation is cleared up, it should be smooth sailing from here on out. Tomorrow, I'll pick Carolyn up and head to Chicago, where she will board a bus to Minneapolis and I will tear up the city with Sarah and our other friend Darcy (Who should be getting to Goshen in the next couple of hours!) We got plenty of weird looks for having the surfboard on my car (especially during the blizzard), but in all, Indiana is a pretty friendly place. I'm looking forward to Chicago tomorrow since I've never been there. More updates to come. For now, I am just relaxing at Goshen College and enjoying the fact that I have a day off from driving!

Good-bye, NY! Hello LA! Part 2

2010-02-11T11:38:00.000-08:00

So as you may or may not know, I am headed out west again. New York is freezing and I am ready for some sun. I will be using this blog again to chronicle my road trip, so be sure to stay tuned with updates. My cross country stops are as follows:
A.) Pick up my friend Carolyn in Boston
B.) Head to Goshen, Indiana to meet up with Sarah and Darcy (friends from my semester in LA)
C.) Hang out in Chicago for a day with Sarah and hopefully meet up with Renee (my former LA roommate)
D.) Off to Bethel, Minnesota, where I'll be staying with Carolyn's friends and meeting up with my old surfing buddy Jorel in the Twin Cities.
E.) Down to McKinney, Texas (a 15 hour drive!) to stay the night with Meg (also a friend from my LA semester) and her husband.
F.) Rio Rancho, New Mexico to see Michele and Evan (some fellow New Yorkers I went to high school with)
G.) VEGAS, BABY!!!!
H.) LA!!!!!!!

Playlist for January

2010-01-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

So I decided to make a playlist for every month of the year. This is January's.

Click image to view in full size.

Best of 2009

2010-01-16T10:33:00.000-08:00

This is going to be a work in progress post. So stay tuned for updates.

Best Films of 2009
15- "The Cove"
14- "Sin Nombre"
13-"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
12- "An Education"
11- "Where The Wild Things Are"
10- "The Messenger"
9- "Broken Embraces"
8- "The Hangover"
7- "Up!"
6- "District 9"
5- "Moon"
4- "The Hurt Locker"
3- "(500) Days of Summer"
2- "Up In The Air"
1- "Inglourious Basterds"

Best Albums of 2009
15- The Low Anthem- Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
14- Andrew Bird- Noble Beast
13- Monsters of Folk- Monsters of Folk
12- Yeah Yeah Yeahs- It's Blitz!
11- Nirvana- Live At Reading
10- Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest
9- Various Artistst- Dark Was the Night
8- Dirty Projectors- Bitte Orca
7- Various Artists- Soundtrack to (500) Days of Summer
6- Passion Pit- Manners
5- Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion
4- The Avett Brothers- I And Love And You
3- Bon Iver- Blood Bank (EP)
2- The xx- The xx
1- Phoenix- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

My Top 60 Albums of the 2000-2009

2010-01-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

OK, this one was WAY more difficult than my top films list (thus I made it 60 instead of 25 and even that was hard to do.) This will probably evolve over time, but here is my current list.

My Top 60 albums of the decade

1-Radiohead- In Rainbows
2-Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago
3-Arcade Fire- Funeral
4-Radiohead- Kid A
5-The Shins-Chutes Too Narrow
6-The Shins- Wincing the Night Away
7-Sufjan Stevens- Illinois
8-Avett Brothers- Emotionalism
9-Jay-Z- The Black Album/The Blueprint
10-Kanye West- The College Dropout
11-The Shins- Oh, Inverted World
12-Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion
13-John Mayer- Room for Squares
14-Regina Spektor- Begin To Hope
15-The Strokes- Is This It?
16-Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes
17-Bright Eyes- I'm Wide Awake and It's Morning
18-Sigur Rós- Ágætis Byrjun
19-Iron & Wine- Our Endless Numbered Days
20-The White Stripes- White Blood Cells

21-Modest Mouse- Good News For People Who Love Bad News
22-Jessica Lea Mayfield- With Blasphemy So Heartfelt
23-Band of Horses- Everything All the Time
24-Modest Mouse- We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
25-Coldplay- Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
26-Cake- Pressure Chief
27-The Flaming Lips-Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
28-Phoenix-Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
29-Vampire Weekend- Vampire Weekend
30-Andrew Bird- Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production of Eggs
31-Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
32-The Killers- Hot Fuss

33-Iron & Wine- The Shepherd's Dog
34-The White Stripes- Elephant
35-TV on the Radio- Return to Cookie Mountain
36-Arctic Monkeys- Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
37-Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest
38-Feist- The Reminder
39-Passion Pit- Manners
40-Band of Horses- Cease to Begin
41-The Dodos- Visiter
42-The Helio Sequence- Keep Your Eyes Ahead
43-Patty Griffin- Impossible Dream
44-Death Cab for Cutie- Plans
45-The XX- XX
46-Coheed and Cambria- Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Mad
47-Muse- Black Holes and Revelations
48-MGMT- Oracular Spectacular
49-Eisley- Room Noises
50-Jem- Finally Woken
51-Jimmy Eat World- Bleed American
52-Straylight Run- Straylight Run
53-Snow Patrol- Eyes Open

54-Outkast- Stankonia
55-Ray LaMontagne- Trouble
56-Peter Bjorn and John- Writer's Block
57-Justin Timberlake- FutureSex/LoveSounds
58-Norah Jones- Come Away With Me
59-Juanes- Un Día Normal
60-Jars of Clay- The Eleventh Hour

My Favorite 25 Films of the Decade

2010-01-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

First off, please note the title; these are my (not yours, your friend's, any film critic's, etc.) FAVORITE (not necessarily the best, just the ones I really really liked) films of the decade (and by decade I mean 2000-2009...some people seem to think the decade ends in 2010, but I think this person...er, I mean people... is an asshole.) I tried to pick at least one film from each film (hence, "Inglourious Basterds" makes the list.) I also noticed that most of my top films were made in the first half of the decade. Does that mean filmmaking is going downhill? Not necessarily, but I am also not a huge fan of this recent trend of relying on CGI, big name actors, and lots of special effects and explosions to make a films that will rake in big bucks (*cough cough* MICHAEL BAY!!!) OK, so without further ado, here goes. Feel free to respond!

**(edited on 1/2): OK, so I made this list on the first of the year, and then, while looking at others' top of the decade lists I realized I had some HUGE omissions to my first list, so I have added them in using red font.

My favorite 25 films from 2000-2009

1.) Donnie Darko (2001) - I am probably the only person who put this as the #1 film of the decade, but this film has just always spoken to me and I can't quite say why I love it so much, I just do. It's not a horror movie. It's not just a film about a creepy life-sized bunny. This quote by Andy Rau helps me verbalize why I love the film so much in this quote: "...I've come to appreciate the movie...for its very earnest depiction of a flawed, everyday person who is stumbling through this world looking for a Truth that he senses but cannot see." Thanks to my older brother's hot friend for introducing me to it way back in the beginning of the decade. I think I've watched this over 30 times at this point.

2.) Requiem For a Dream (2000)- I will never ever ever shoot up heroin because of this film. Probably the most affecting film of the decade and extremely innovative filmmaking and editing. The perfect soundtrack is just the icing on the cake of an absolutely gripping film.

3-Memento (2000)- I love a good thriller with a dramatic twist. I can watch this over and over again, but it will never compare to the first time. Still, I get something different out of each viewing.

4-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)- This film made me wish I could completely erase all the memories of a certain person from my life too. Is that bad? I absolutely adore Kate Winslet in her role as Clementine. Soundtrack is great, screenplay is fantastic, love the aesthetic, and terrific performances. This and "(500) Days of Summer" are my two favorite "love" stories of the decade though neither is very conventional.

5-Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)- Still have a special place in my heart for the books, but these films were absolutely amazing nonetheless. Outstanding filmmaking.

6 (tie)-Lost in Translation (2003)- I love this film a little more every time I see it. Fabulous story about a somewhat unconventional relationship with terrific performances from Scar Jo and Bill Murray. It's funny, it's depressing, it's extremely relatable. Love love love that ending.

6 (tie)- Amelie (2001)- How the hell I forgot to put this movie in the first time is beyond me. An absolute visual feast. The highly saturated color palette, Audrey Tautou's wonderful performance, and the adorable storyline definitely make this my favorite conventional love story. I am still in shock that I forgot it.

7-Moulin Rouge! (2001)- How can you not listen to Ewan McGregor sing "Your Song" and not get the chills?? An aesthetic drool-fest, it's like an amazingly colorful two-hour long music video.

8-Mulholland Dr. (2001)- It's been a couple years since I watched this, but the film has always stuck with me. Like I said, I love a thriller with a dramatic twist and this sure as hell has it! Kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and demanded an immediate second viewing.

9-Amores Perros (2000)- Before there was "Crash," there was "Amores Perros" (roughly translated to "love's a bitch"), set in Mexico City with three intertwined storylines, all involving dogs. As many of you know, I am absolutely obsessed with Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal and he is TERRIFIC in this film. Love the visuals, the editing, the music, the performances. Part of a "trilogy" of films by Alejandro González Iñárritu along with "21 Grams" and "Babel."

10-Almost Famous (2000)- I guess I love films featuring Elton John songs, because the scene where they all sing "Tiny Dancer" on the tour bus just sums up my absolute love for this film.

11-The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)- I love anything by Wes Anderson, but this was probably my fav Anderson film of the decade ("Darjeeling Limited" is a close second). Quirky comedy with standout performances. I am obsessed with Anderson's film aesthetic and this film just encapsulates everything I love about him as a director.

12-Slumdog Millionaire (2008)- Jai Ho! That scene at the end gives me chills every time. Such a powerful story and the soundtrack is absolutely AMAZING! I saw this film seven times in theaters (more than any other film from the decade) and it was the first film I went to in LA (at the Arclight of course).

13-There Will Be Blood (2007)- I wish this film had won the Oscar over "No Country For Old Men" that year. I was so obsessed with the sound design for this film and how it felt like such a stark contrast to what was shown on screen. And of course, there's that iconic "I drink your milkshake" scene that gets me every time.

14- Big Fish (2003)- Love the way the story is told. Love it stylistically. A film unlike anything I'd seen before. One of the films I use as a model for my own filmmaking.

15-Oldboy (2003)- Love those thrillers with dramatic twists... The ending!!!!! AAAAGGGHHHH!! You're in for a shocking treat.

16-Y Tu Mamá También (2001)- Like I said, I love Gael Garcia Bernal. He rocks it again in this film along with Diego Luna and Ana Lopez Mercado. It's hot, but this is not just a story about sex. A huge testament to the economic divide in Mexico. Right up there with "Motorcycle Diaries" in my favorite road movies of the decade list.

17-Hable con ella (2002)- I love Almodóvar. I love his colorful aesthetic. I love his appreciation for women. I love his crazy but powerful stories. This film sums up everything I love about my favorite director.

18-Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)- OK, so Almodóvar is my favorite foreign director, but Tarantino is by far my favorite US director. The man is a genius (and we share the same birthday). This film just makes me sooooo happy and so cathartic. A visual masterpiece with a perfect soundtrack and a superb script.

19-Cicade de Deus (2002)- A powerful story set in impoverished Rio de Janeiro about the different paths two boys take.

20-Gladiator (2000)- What a story. What an epic film. Sometimes I forget how much I loved this film, but every now and then it airs on TV and I remember.

21-Brokeback Mountain (2005)- Cried like a baby at the end and I like never cry at movies. Gutted me emotionally more than any other film I'd seen in awhile. I'm adding this to my favorite love stories of the decade list. Also, I love Ang Lee.

22-The Dark Knight (2008)- At first, I was not a huge fan, but the more times my male friends dragged me to this film, the more it grew on me. Heath Ledger is incredible. The story is extremely relevant and it is a cinematic masterpiece.

23-La mala educación (2004)- Like I said, I love Almodóvar. A film about a film. And... *SURPRISE* ...it features mi amor GAEL! This is probably not on anyone else's top films of the decade list, but I absolutely love this film. Great story, great performances, great music, great aesthetics, and it has a dramatic twist!

24 (tie)-WALL-E (2008)- Along with "Up!" my favorite animated film of the decade. "WALL-E" and "Finding Nemo" were my two favorite animated films of the decade with "Up!" in a close third. Such a sweet story. Got a little teary at the end. Extremely culturally relevant.

24 (tie)- Finding Nemo (2003)- Who knew a fish named Dory would have the most practical advice for the decade: "Just keep swimming." A feel good film that provided lots of laughs.

25-Inglourious Basterds (2009)- My favorite film of 2009 for sure. Tarantino's films are all about catharsis for me. Loved every aspect of this- terrific script (dialogue was incredible), amazing performances, perfect musical choices, and wonderfully shot and edited. I could not stop smiling and talking about how amazing this film was for hours on end after seeing it.

Almost made the list:
(500) Days of Summer, Children of Men, The Lives of Others, The Passion of the Christ, Adaptation, Pan's Labyrinth, Juno, Little Miss Sunshine, The Pianist, Fahrenheit 9/11, Crash, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Up!.

Why everyone should work in retail at least once in their lives...

2009-12-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

So as you may or may not know I am currently working two jobs. Both pay $8 an hour. One is at a cute little local bakery where I get to eat all the treats and drink all the coffee I'd like. The other is at Target. Before now, I've never had to work a job in retail in my life. I'd been lucky enough to score jobs at the local gym, as a TA in college, at an ice cream shop/Greek diner and at the Woodstock Film Festival for the past three summers. However, after the festival ended in early October and I took a week or so off to relax, I had to start hunting for jobs all over again. I knew I wasn't planning on sticking around upstate New York much longer, so I didn't want to find anything that would require me to stay for a year or more. I figured I'd apply to a couple of retail jobs knowing that they always hire for the holidays. I filled out applications to Target and H&M and was midway through filling out an application to JC Penny when I got a call back from Target to come in for an interview.
The whole process seemed ridiculous at the time, I had to fill out lots of paperwork, get interviewed by several people, and take a few online quizzes with questions like "What percentage of politicians would you say are corrupt?" It seemed like a bit of a lengthy process just to become a Target employee...excuse me, TEAM MEMBER. Yes, at Target we are not employees, but team members and the people that come to shop in our store are GUESTS not customers. This was the first thing I learned at my Target Orientation before sitting back to watch a series of training videos (including a rather hilarious sexual harassment one). As I sat in the back room I looked at the high school kids around me and thought to myself, "Maybe I should quit now before I even start." But I decided to stick it out because I needed the money and didn't want to have to go through the hiring process all over again. I was assigned to the Electronics Department (the closest thing I could get to putting my Communications BA with a Film emphasis into work). I had to do some additional training to get certified for electronics, but after reading a huge binder on HDTVs, Blu-Ray players, GPS units, and gaming systems, I took a test, passed it, and was certified to become an "Electronics Champion!" GO ME!!!!!
The first week was surreal. I felt like I was entering a cult of people who had their own weird acronyms that I wasn't sure I understood. I had to use my walkie to talk to someone called the GSTL and the LOD and let them know things. My team trainer and superior was a guy I'd gone to high school with, who was in the bottom half of our graduating class and had never gone to college. It was a bit humbling. I had to attend morning team huddles, learn how to "zone" and "reshop" and even earned some "Great Team Member cards" for my performance. These cards are given out by other team members who see you doing a good job and want to humiliate congratulate you by giving you a card for you to put up on the bulletin board in the staff room (which isn't called the staff room, it has some acronym I don't remember).
But after working Black Friday, I have a whole new appreciation for these people who've worked in retail for much of their lives. They get walked all over and treated like trash all the time, and get paid to do it. I have people yelling at me all the time for things I have no control over. (Examples: "Your ad was so deceiving!!! I want a full price reduction on this!!!" "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T HOLD THE TV FOR ME??? I'LL BE THERE IN TEN MINUTES!!") I made the mistake of trusting a "guest" who called from the Target in Poughkeepsie Black Friday evening telling me that I had to hold a 32" tv for them because the Target team member over there told them I would. I was tired and about to go on my lunch break, so I told the guys who were staying there about the situation and put the tv in the back room. After all, the people said they were only 20 minutes away. But when I got back from my lunch break (46 minutes later) the tv still hadn't been picked up and was currently being purchased by another guest. I started freaking out. I asked my fellow team member why he was selling it when I specifically had told them I was holding it. "We don't do holds; that's our policy," he said. It was a policy I knew, but I thought since the other Target had authorized it, I was supposed to hold it anyways. When the people who called for me to hold the tv showed up an hour later they were furious. We had to call all the head acronym people down to clear up the situation and we ended up having to give them a discount on another tv (which they were none too happy about even though the tv they got was a better one) and the store ended up losing money and I felt horrible because everyone knew it was my fault.
Sure, Target does have it's good moments. I do feel appreciated there by my co-team members and bosses. And there are always nice customers who are thankful for the help I provide (I spent 20 minutes going through a grandchild's Christmas list with her grandmother, who had no idea what a "Mariah Carey" was.) But for every nice and thankful person, there's an asshole who takes their anger out on you, shouts at you to help them even though you are helping two other people, leaves their merchandise all over the store instead of putting back what they don't want, too impatient to wait online, etc.
I have definitely learned a lot of patience and I have a much better understanding of how to treat store employees. One of the new people training for electronics has a Master's degree but couldn't find work and needed to find something to supplement her husband's income now that the holidays are coming. Don't assume everyone who works in retail is a high school drop out because in this economy, nothing could be more untrue. More and more people with college educations are turning to seasonal retail work as a temporary fix to their financial troubles. Don't judge us. I feel like every time someone I went to high school with comes in to Target, I have to explain to them that I did graduate college and I do have a plan bigger than Target. So when you do your holiday shopping, think not just of yourself, but of the people behind the counter helping you. Just like everyone should work in food service (to become better tippers and nicer diners), I think everyone should also work in retail at least once in their lives.
I will step down from my soap box now.
LA is only 3 months away!!!!!!

the big plan

2009-11-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

So I haven't written here in awhile, but I think it's about time I update you on my future plans.
A few weekends ago I spent some time in NYC visiting friends and seeing the Avett Brothers put on one hell of a show yet again. While there, I also realized that as much as I love New York, I miss L.A. way too much. Whether it was the grey skies and rain that left a cloud hanging over the entire weekend or the informative discussion I had with one of my friends who struggled to find work in the city, I knew that even if I moved to NYC, I'd still be longing for the sunshine and happiness that LA gave me. I had already applied for a paid internship with "Entertainment Weekly" magazine in Manhattan that would run from January to May, but I wasn't really expecting to get it. If I do get it, of course I will stay in New York and work there. It would be foolish to pass an opportunity like that up. But unless I get that job, I have decided to return to LA come January or February depending on how long I am willing or obligated to work at the jobs I have right now.
Right now, I'm working weekends from 7:30-12:30 at a local bakery, a job I love, and I'm currently training to be a Target "team member" in the Entertainment and Electronics departments. Hopefully I can have an additional $2,000-$3,000 saved up to put in my LA fund before I head out. I already have about $2,000 set aside for LA from the money I earned at the film fest. Living at home certainly makes it easier to save money! Neither job pays a fortune, but at least it's money, and I'm willing to work long hours if necessary.

I'd be moving out to LA with my old roommate Jill, who is currently living in Minnesota. In addition, there are two girls currently living and working in LA that we know who are hoping to get a new apartment and we'd likely be moving in with them. That makes it a lot easier for Jill and I because we'll be moving right into a new apartment instead of having to look for one. We're hoping to find a place with rent under $600 a month.
I'm not planning on applying for jobs until I get out there. However, when I have a better idea of the actual date of my arrival, I'll try to re-establish connections with the contacts I have out there and hope that they have some job leads for me. Luckily, Target can transfer me to the Target in LA after I've worked for them for 90 days in good standing. Although I don't want to work at Target in LA, it would at least be a good temporary job until I found something more in my field. I also plan on applying to a few temp agencies out there.
Knowing I'll be moving back out to LA in a few months is making it much easier for me to get through the cold and dreary days here in the north east. I just hope everything works out!

Film festival festivities and the aftermath

2009-10-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

OK. So the film festival is now officially over, which also means I am now unemployed. It's been great to have a chance to relax, but now I need to get to work applying for jobs. My current aspiration is to become either the greatest H&M cashier or the best damn Applebee's waitress you've ever seen. So we'll see... I've also applied for a paid internship with "Entertainment Weekly" magazine, but that wouldn't start til January and my chances of getting that aren't very good (but a girl can dream). Anyways, my current plan is to work some sucky job til January and then move out (sorry mom and dad, but living at home is cramping my style) hopefully to L.A. but also possibly NYC.
While I ponder my future, here is a rundown of my favorite films from this year's Woodstock Film Festival for you to read.

Narratives:
1.) "Entre Nos" - a Spanish-language film about a Latina immigrant living in NYC who works her ass off to support her two kids after her douche bag husband ditches them to go to Miami. The kicker is, it's based on a true story and the director happens to be the young girl from the film who helped her mother and brother collect cans on the street to make a living. I've seen it three times now and I cry every time. It is a truly inspirational film and one of the hidden gems of the festival. I got to talk to the director/screenwriter/lead actress and her co-director afterwards and they were just the coolest women ever. I also ran into my high school Spanish teacher there and am now going to some Día de los Muertos celebration for the Spanish Club at my alma mater.

2.) "Dear Lemon Lima" - the perfect film for a thirteen year old girl, or any girl for that matter. Stylistically, I loved this film, which sort of had a Juno-esque vibe to it. To quote from the blurb I wrote for the festival program: "Being thirteen is not easy, as Vanessa, a quirky Alaskan girl, can attest to. Her daydreams of a life filled with candy hearts, rainbows and ice cream come to an end when her beloved Philip breaks up with her. She decides that the best way to win his heart back is to enter the school's Snowstorm Survivor competition, gathering up a group of misfits to be on her team. As she trains for the competition, bonds with her team, and confronts unexpected challenges, Ness finally begins to embrace her heritage." I also got to talk to the director of this film at the Maverick Awards and she was such a sweetheart. The film screened at the Career Day at the local high school (not trying to take full responsibility or anything but I totally pushed for it to be the film they screened for the Career Day and I think it was the perfect choice...and the director totally agreed and was super thankful since that was her niche audience).

3.) "Up In the Air" - best film I've seen in awhile. So good. The latest from director Jason Reitman of "Juno" fame, the film stars George Clooney as Ryan, a guy who fires people for a living. He spends most of his time "up in the air," flying to and from meetings where he fires people from random companies he has no affiliation with. He prefers his hotels and airplanes to being in his actual home in Nebraska. On one of his trips he meets a woman (played by Vera Farmiga, who I also got to meet and was also the coolest person ever) who is pretty much him with boobs. They start a weird relationship, meeting up whenever their flights correspond. Unfortunately, Ryan's boss has new plans for the company. Natalie (played expertly by Anna Kendrick) is the company's wunderkind, and her great new idea is to start firing people by iChat, thus, ending any need for Ryan to fly around the country. Don't want to give much more away, but the film is just AMAZING. It is smart, funny, and well-written, and visually it's great as well. You need to go see it when it comes out in theaters in December.

Runners Up: "The Messenger," "Eyes Wide Open," "(Untitled)," and "Don't Let Me Drown"

Narratives I Wish I'd Gotten to See: "Children of Invention," "Me and Orson Welles," "Men Who Stare at Goats," "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," "Splinterheads."

Documentaries:

1.) "Racing Dreams" - I hate NASCAR and anything having to do with NASCAR, but this film, about young NASCAR hopefuls competing in the World Karting Championship, is full of heart and perfectly executed. It was just an all around well-crafted documentary. It focuses on three kids, ages 11-13, and the ups and downs they and their families go through racing go-carts. Sounds lame, but it totally isn't.

2.) "Without a Home" - OK, so I love LA and any film set there is bound to have my heart, even if it's set in one of LA's not so happy beautiful places, Skid Row. But having spent a day in Skid Row volunteering as part of a class assignment, I felt an even greater attachment to the film, which follows director Rachel Fleischer as she documents the lives of several homeless individuals for four years. While at first she tries to keep behind the camera, she eventually has no choice but to become part of the story herself, often coming to the aid of her homeless subjects despite the fact that she was struggling financially as well. After meeting Rachel at the fest, I learned that she is just as sweet and compassionate as she comes off in the film. She's just one of those people you want to hug.

3.) "Red Light" - I must admit, my intentions for seeing this film were not so great. I heard Lucy Lui would be doing Q&A afterwards, and I was eager to get to possibly meet her. However, she ended up having to pull out of the Q&A but still introduced the film, which she narrated and produced. At Gordon, I was sort of involved with this abolitionist movement to end child-prostitution, but this film made me want to do more. It provided an intimate portrait of the lives of several children who were forced into child prostitution in Cambodia. The film will literally rip you apart inside. It is very difficult to watch, but cinematically it's beautiful, and this is definitely an important subject that needs to get out there.

Docs I Wish I'd Gotten a Chance to See: "When You're Strange: A Film About the Doors," "More Than a Game," "Junior" (saw part of and it was hilarious), "Cropsey," "Convention," and "Big River Man." (If only we'd had screener copies/I wasn't trapped in the box office the whole festival long!)

Short Films:

1.) "Pinhas"- my favorite short about a young Russian immigrant boy living with his mother in Israel. While his mother could care less about him, Pinhas is fascinated by the Orthodox family living on the third floor. He wants to become an Orthodox Jew too and starts pretending to be one. Gradually, the family invites him into their lives and teaches him about their religion. It is just so precious. See it if you ever get the chance.

2.) "Sinner"- another Israeli film, but much darker than "Pinhas." A boy attending a strict Orthodox Jewish school approaches his rabbi when he feels he has sinned, but the rabbi ends up committing a much greater sin and the boy is forced into a tortured silence.

3.) "Knife Point" - shot locally, this short is also quite heavy and also deals with the darker side of religion. It follows a traveling salesman who meets up with a conservative Christian family and takes them up on a kind offer, not knowing what's in store.

Honorable Mentions: "4th of July Parade," "Eiko," "Limbo (Limbus)," "Adelaide," and "First Time, Long Time." (SO MANY GOOD SHORTS THIS YEAR!!)

All of the following have been on heavy repeat lately...

2009-09-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

This list is random, I know, but I can't help it:

1.) Nirvana - "About a Girl"

2.) Radiohead - "House of Cards"

3.) Bon Iver - "For Emma"

4.) Amos Lee - "Colors"

5.) Band of Horses- "The General Specific"

6.) Jars of Clay- "Silence"

7.) Avett Brothers - "Living of Love" (and pretty much their entire "Emotionalism" album)

8.) Wilco- "Heavy Metal Drummer"

9.) Billy Joel - "And So It Goes"

10.) Foo Fighters- "Everlong"

11.) Third Eye Blind- "Jumper"

12.) Bon Iver- "Beach Baby" - a song that inexplicably makes me cry whenever I hear it

13.) The Beatles- "Norwegian Wood"

14.) Radiohead- "Fake Plastic Trees"

15.) Passion Pit- "Sleepyhead"

That is all for today.